Teana's Travels Book 37: Guardians of Light
by D.K.N
Summary: As the Seekers of Darkness finally begin to make their move, Sora and his friends move to fight them. They will meet new friends and foes alike, as destiny carries all involved towards the forging of the ultimate weapon... Rating T for violence & language (may upgrade to M later)
1. Awakenings

**THE FOLLOWING THINGS ARE THE PROPERTIES OF THEIR RESPECTIVE OWNERS; I DO NOT OWN THEM AND MAKE NO MONEY OFF OF THIS STORY**

_Mahō Shōjo Lyrical Nanoha _(Teana, various other characters) – 7Arcs

_Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni _(Shion and friends/family) – 07th Expansion and Studio Deen

_Shuffle!_ (Kaede Fuyō and associated characters) – Navel and Asread

_Erika's New Perfume _(Marie, Sarah, Erika, Timmy, Veronica) – DeviantArtist 'Lance the Young'

_Mai-chan's Daily Life _(Mai, Kizuna) – Waita Uziga

_Star Wars _(Ahsoka, Cody, Rex, _Force Unleashed_ cast) – George Lucas, Lucasfilm

_Halo_ (Forerunners, UNSC, Sangheili Alliance) – Bungie, 343 Industries

_StarCraft_ (multiple characters, events, and devices) – Blizzard Entertainment

_Naruto_ (characters, techniques, abilities) – Masashi Kishimoto

_Mahō Sensei Negima _(characters, spells, abilities) – Ken Akamatsu

**_Kingdom Hearts _****(characters, weapons, enemies, concepts) – Square-Enix**

_Neon Genesis Evangelion _(characters, concepts, tech) – Studio Gainax

_Elfen Lied _(Kaede K., others) – Lynn Okamoto, Arms

_Red vs. Blue _(The Blood-Gulch Crew, the ex-Freelancers) – Rooster Teeth

_My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic_ – Hasbro, Lauren Faust

_Transformers Film Series _– Hasbro, Michael Bay

_Transformers: Beast Wars _– Hasbro, Mainframe Entertainment

_Yu-Gi-Oh! _– Kazuki Takahashi, Viz Media

_Sonic the Hedgehog _– SEGA

_Gears of War _– Epic Games

_Roughnecks: Starship Troopers Chronicles _– Columbia Tristar (I think)

_Mass Effect _– Bioware

_Metroid _– Nintendo

_Puella Magi Madoka Magica _– Gen Urobuchi, SHAFT

_The Legend of Zelda _– Nintendo

_Tōhō _– ZUN

_RWBY _– Rooster Teeth

_Pretty Cure / PreCure_ – Toei Animation

_Kill La Kill _– Trigger

_Cross Ange _– Sunrise

_Cardcaptor Sakura _– Clamp

_Sailor Moon _– Naoko Takeuchi, Kodansha

_Sailor Nothing _– used with express permission of Stefan "Twoflower" Gagne; please visit his website for _SN _and his other original works

_Fate/Stay Night, Fate/Kaleid Liner Prisma Illya_ – TYPE-MOON

_Pokémon _– Nintendo, GameFreak

PLEASE READ & REVIEW, AND TEND TO THE TROPE PAGES

**-****_BOOK 37 START_****-**

**Realm LZ-T2**

**Temple of Time**

Little Link, the 'Hero of Time', strode purposefully (and slightly nervously) up to the altar where a legendary blade was enshrined. Watching from afar were his counterpart / older 'brother', "Link the Hero of Twilight", and this timeline's young Princess Zelda. The elder Link already had his timeline's/realm's Master Sword, and now they were going to see if the younger Link could draw upon his world's as well. Although still a little boy, only 4 ½ feet tall, he still had an inch or two over when he first drew the Master Sword to wield against Ganondorf, only to end up sealed away for the better part of a decade because he'd been deemed too little to wield the weapon effectively. Hopefully, that little bit of growth would be enough so that wouldn't happen again…

Standing on the pedestal, Link wrapped his little hands around the hilt of the blade, closed his eyes, and, in a desperate hope, tried to 'think' his memories and thoughts of the current crises at the blade, hoping to convince it to let him wield it without sealing him away until post-puberty again. He pulled, and slowly the Master Sword pulled up and out of its resting place. Soon, the legendary blade was free. Link held it aloft, waiting…

Nothing happened. That is to say, no barrier of magic sprang around Link to seal him away. It seemed that, just barely, he was now tall enough to wield the Master Sword in his current state. Carrying the blade, he started towards his comrades, who both smiled. Then, however, the two Master Swords both briefly pulsed with light three times – way out of sync the first time, much closer the second, and finally simultaneous. It was as if they were synchronizing…

"Okay…" Navi said. "What was _that_ all about?"

"The Bureau wanted to talk to you about something, right?" Twilight-Link said to his cute little counterpart. "Maybe they can figure it out…"

**-****_Break_****-**

**Realm LN-34**

**RF6 Headquarters**

"Hmm…" Shari pondered as the two Links told her of what they'd seen. "Curious. …Mind if I try scanning those swords?"

The duo drew their Master Swords and laid them side by side in the scanner of Shari's lab. After several seconds of scans and looking at the data, Shari's eyes visibly widened.

"The Master Swords… They were synchronizing, melding data and memory."

"Memory?" Child-Link asked. "How do the Master Swords have memory?"

She turned to them, and what she said next nearly bowled the Links over:

"Because these swords have an artificial intelligence in them."

-_Break_-

Shari spent the next hour pouring through the divine-forged 'code' imbued in the Master Swords; what had previously been two instances of whatever intelligence slept within them had merged, now being a single entity with the memories of both, existing in both blades at once. Now, she was doing whatever she could to bring this intelligence out of what appeared to have been centuries, if not millennia, of dormancy. The two Links were joined by Hayate and Reinforce, the latter using her arcane knowledge to assist.

Finally, both Master Swords' hilt-gems pulsed with pale-purple light and let out a whispery chime sound. With a flash, an orb of light shot up from them and quickly formed into a humanoid figure floating just above the ground. The intelligence was female in form, appearing like a girl the elder Link's age, but her body and 'hair' seemed to be made of a crystalline blue substance, with no obvious irises or pupils to her solid-blue eyes. She was clad in a form-fitting purple dress with a large gold-lined blue diamond on the chest, and her 'arms' were a pair of cape-like projections from the dress – left blue, right purple – along with blue-crossed black tights on her legs.

"Time stamp established" she announced, her voice bearing a slight synthetic reverb. "Checking logs… Confirmed total erasure of Demise's consciousness. Accessing records… Confirmed major enemy is high-level Keyblade wielder aligned with darkness and evil. Confirmed major enemy is reincarnation of Demise." She turned to look at the still-stunned Links. "…Bearers of the Triforce of Courage, separate souls from Master Link's but bearing his reincarnated essence and power." She then turned to Shari. "…You bear knowledge of magic-based artificial intelligences. You are the one who restored to me my awareness?"

Shakily, Shari nodded. "Y-Yes. It seems you already have at least some grasp of the situation."

"Indeed. …I detect you have modified my code, enabling the gradual development of a full emotional range beyond the little I already have. …Thank you."

"Who exactly are you, Spirit of the Master Sword?" Hayate asked.

"I am named Fi. When the Goddess, Hylia, first vanquished the Demon Lord Demise but failed to kill him, she knew he would return, so she created me and the Goddess Sword which I inhabited, to be found and wielded by the Spirit of the Hero, the champion of Hylia. That champion was the first youth to go by the name of 'Link'. In our travels to rescue Hylia's mortal reincarnation, the first Zelda, he used the Goddess Triad's sacred flames to empower me, evolving the Goddess Sword into the Master Sword. Together, he and I killed Demise, though I had to absorb what was left of Demise into the Master Sword, and enter a long slumber during the process to safely disassemble and dispose of it. That process is now complete.

"Unfortunately, it appears that Demise's dying curse towards the two who foiled him enabled his hatred and essence to reincarnate as the demon now known as Ganon, and his humanoid self Ganondorf."

"Ganondorf is literally a demon lord's grudge and hate given a mind and life of its own?" Young Link asked, stunned.

"Essentially, yes" Fi replied. "Whatever chance the Gerudo born as Ganondorf may have had to live a normal life free of evil's grasp was taken away before his birth, when he was fated to be the embodiment of that ancient curse of hatred."

"The Triad…" Twilight-Link spoke up. "Din, Farore, and Nayru… They must've foreseen that Demise's essence would reincarnate. That's why they somehow set things up so that whenever that did come to pass, there'd be a Link and a Zelda to stop him… right?"

Fi nodded. "And the Master Sword shall always be there to aid each Link in thwarting Demise's legacy. But this Xehanort has interfered with the cycle, perhaps even disrupted it. Time will tell. Whatever may come, I stand ready to assist the both of you in halting whatever destruction or conquest Ganondorf seeks to bring about, as well as in preventing Master Xehanort from forging the χ-Blade and using it to unmake all that is. Plus, there is the matter of the alliance of sorceresses, as well as the sadistic harlequin and the powerful artifact he has claimed…"

"Who would've thought the Master Sword was basically an Intelligent Device…" Shari muttered.

Hayate cleared her throat. "Well! Glad to have you with us, Fi. Now then, little Link. We have a spell for you to use; we _were_ going to try and outfit you with a Storage Device to help with it, but perhaps with Fi helping…"

"What sort of spell?" the boy asked.

"Adult Mode. It's a transformation spell that would allow you to temporarily assume an aged-up form – in your case, perhaps the form you took during your first big adventure. Vivio and Einhart already have Adult Mode forms, and so will Sasuke's student Fuuka when her Device is complete, which should be quite soon."

Fi took a look at the magical 'code' of the spell, and nodded. "I am fairly confident I can assist in casting this spell, Young Master. Although you are just large enough to wield my blade in your current state, an older body will allow you to do so with more ease."

Little Link nodded. "Alright. Should come in handy…"

"Something just came to me" Navi spoke up. "That boy, Shirou… Didn't he use his 'Tracing' to create an empowered copy of the Master Sword once or twice?"

Fi accessed the records gathered during her dormancy. "I indeed have records of being wielded by Shirou Emiya, a naturally-talented user of Projection magic. He was likely able to do so due to his pure Heart and because of his connection to Excalibur, another divinely-forged blade similar in make & function to the Goddess Sword. …And it seems that, even in my dormant state, my unconscious programming started attempting to… fix him whenever he wielded the blade."

"Fix him?" Shari asked.

"Due to metaphysical damage to his mind and soul, possibly due to exposure to the Holy Grail when it was corrupted, Emiya possesses a dangerously lacking sense of self-preservation. Being willing to sacrifice oneself in defense of others is an admirable quality, but one who places _no_ value in himself is liable to get himself maimed or killed unnecessarily. It appears the Master Sword's power attempts to gradually 'repair' that metaphysical damage whenever he wields a Traced copy of it."

"Here's hoping it helps, then," Hayate replied, "and we should maybe alert his parents about the matter and schedule Emiya-kun with a therapist…"

**-****_SCENE BREAK_****-**

**Realm STH-17**

Sonic and Shadow were relaxing and catching their breath after a sparring match outside Tails' cliffside workshop, looking out at the sea.

"Can't help but feel like everything's about to kick off, y'know?" Sonic said.

"Right" Shadow nodded. "It's that same feeling of tenseness and foreboding I felt right before the Black Arms showed up – everything looks normal, but you can somehow 'feel' that something big is just about to happen."

"Well, _whatever_ comes, we'll handle it, just like we always do! Besides, I'm sure we'll get _some_ warning, even if it's just a little. It's not like everything will go from zero to chaos in the blink of an eye."

As if to answer that, a burst of greenish lightning suddenly sprang up from nowhere behind the two hedgehog heroes, who spun around, getting ready for a fight. The light and lightning swirled around, and in a flash a figure appeared. The light slowly faded, and the newcomer slowly floated down to the ground, glowing with a faint green aura. He appeared to be another hedgehog, with silver fur, his quills spiking out wildly, and when he opened his eyes, he looked at them with utmost seriousness.

"Are you Sonic the Hedgehog?" he asked.

"Who wants to know?" Sonic replied.

"My name is Silver. I've come from the future. I've come… to make sure you don't die."

The two present-day hedgehogs' eyes widened. "Say what?" Shadow asked.

"In my timeline, a terrible calamity appeared. Its first act was to kill the two of you, destroying the only hope the world had of stopping it. Without Sonic and Shadow the Hedgehogs, the world was engulfed by ruin and fire. I've come back to make sure that doesn't happen."

"Does this mystery threat have a name?" Sonic asked.

Silver nodded. "Several names, actually. A jackal calling himself 'Infinite' who got hold of a powerful reality-altering relic, as well as a demon named Mephiles. Even as they ravaged the world, they also fought each other. In the end, Mephiles won, and he took the power Infinite had been wielding and used it to cause even _more_ destruction and death."

"Well," Shadow replied, "we've never heard of this 'Mephiles', but Infinite is already a known factor. He's working with another realm's villain, an evil entity named Joker, and they've gotten hold of a powerful and dangerous artifact called the Phantom Ruby. Even in their hands, the Phantom Ruby is a major threat; if something like a full-fledged demon were to get his hands on it…"

"…Then things are already starting down that path. I'll do whatever I can to help you. Mind filling me in on anything you don't know?"

"Sure thing" Sonic grinned. "Come on inside, and we'll fill you in. But whatever is coming, I'm confident we can manage it, especially now that we have a little forewarning."

"Are you so sure about that, little blue~?"

The three hedgehogs startled as a new voice cut in. Looking around, they soon spotted a harlequin with a wicked oppressive aura standing atop a tree.

"Joker…" Shadow growled.

"You wanna fight already?" Sonic asked.

"Oh no, I'm just stopping by to check on you~" Joker replied. "Oh, and to let you know that it seems the Seekers of Darkness are gearing up to make their big move any time now. Should be entertaining~."

"Whatever they throw at us," Shadow said, "we'll handle it. And even if our own strength isn't enough, we have a trump card…."

"A trump card, you say? Hmm… would that perhaps happen to be _these_?"

The two hedgehogs then looked in stunned shock as the harlequin produced seven familiar jewels – the Chaos Emeralds.

"A shame that even my power fails to damage or destroy them…" he said, psychokinetically juggling them. "Of course… I don't have to _destroy_ them to remove them from the equation…"

Shadow lunged at him at super-speed, but he simply teleported out of the way. Silver telekinetically lifted several boulders and a fallen tree, launching them all at Joker, but he again warped to dodge them. Then, he held his hand high, the Chaos Emeralds hovering overhead, and called upon the Phantom Ruby's power. Crimson energy enveloped the seven gems of power, and then there was a loud crack – the sound barrier being broken in an instant as the Chaos Emeralds were sent rocketing up, up, past the stratosphere, out of Earth's gravitational grip, out into interstellar space…

Joker laughed as the hedgehogs stared in stunned disbelief. "So much for your trump card, little hedgehogs! You'll have to come up with some other way to try and stop us! And if you can't… well… of course you won't. Ta-ta~!"

With a final echoing laugh, he vanished in a sparkly purple flash of light.

"…Damn it" Shadow murmured. "This is bad. _Real_ bad."

"We better let the others know" Sonic said, his tone all-business. "Man, Knuckles is gonna be pissed…"

**-****_SCENE BREAK_****-**

**The Realm Between**

Sora, Donald, & Goofy followed Aqua as she led them through this dark and dreary realm, toward where she claimed Ventus was waiting. Recently, an expedition into the depths of Ansem's old laboratory had uncovered a series of secret chambers, and in the one the DDF had been able to open, they'd found Aqua's old Keyblade Armor and her old Keyblade, Stormfall, allowing her to finally reclaim them. Here, however, she had Master Eraqus' weapon, the Master Keeper, out and at the ready; she said she'd "locked" the way to Ventus with it, and so needed it to unlock.

Soon, they reached an enormous, distorted structure. Sora, Donald, & Goofy had no first-hand memory of this place, but thanks to the DDF they had finally learned of the events from their deleted memories, and through that they recognized this bizarre place:

"Castle Oblivion…" Sora murmured. "Ven is in here somewhere?"

"Well, sorta" Aqua replied. "This isn't the place's true form. Stand back…"

Drawing the Master Keeper, she held it pointing forward, and an ethereal golden keyhole appeared floating in front of her. A thin golden beam fired from the Keyblade's tip and into the keyhole, and then the power of Light surged. Sora and his comrades watched in awe as Castle Oblivion's various sections shifted around, retracting, appearing, changing in color & shape…

When the transformation finished, the castle had taken a much more traditional shape, and the dark sky overhead had lightened considerably. After over a decade, the Land of Departure had regained its true form.

"I'm home…" Aqua muttered sadly. "…Come on; Ven's inside."

Once inside the castle, Aqua led them down a couple of decorated corridors, and eventually into a very spacious chamber. At the far end of the chamber were three elaborate chairs, almost thrones. And seated in the center one was the white-clad, blond-haired boy Ventus, still unresponsive and 'empty', magical stasis and the loss of his Heart having kept his body from aging over the past 11-12 years. The quartet hurried over.

"I'm back, Ven" Aqua spoke softly, trying not to choke up. "I'm sorry I took so long. …Okay, Sora. Now that Ven's Heart has finished recovering inside you, I'll use the Power of Waking to rouse him and put him back in his body. It should be a quick and easy-"

"Well, well," a new voice suddenly intruded, "that was a neat trick. No wonder we couldn't find him…"

Startled, the heroes turned to see Vanitas casually waltzing in behind them. Donald immediately fired a Fira blast at him, but he vanished in a burst of speed, reappearing perched atop the throne Ventus was seated in.

"What are _you_ doing here?" Aqua snapped, summoning her Keyblades.

"Sorry to interrupt your touching reunion," the Unversed Lord said, "but surely you won't begrudge me a moment with my brother?" He sighed. "So, Widdle Venty wants to keep sleeping. Man, what am I ever gonna do with you…?"

"You won't be doing a damn thing to him!" Sora shouted, calling forth the Kingdom Key, while Donald & Goofy readied their weapons as well.

"…Hmph. You folks are kinda in the way…"

(BOSS MUSIC: _Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep _OST – "Enter the Darkness")

Slowly standing to balance atop the throne, Vanitas suddenly leapt forward, summoning his Keyblade, and slammed down onto the ground to release a dark shockwave. The heroes were flung back, sent flying by the force, but Aqua threw her Keyblade in a Strike Raid at Vanitas, pulling off a Reverse Recall jump to warp herself to it and strike with a wide swing that he ducked backwards under. As he bent backward, Vanitas placed a gloved palm to the ground, and a shimmering purple barrier formed around the area, keeping Sora, Donald, & Goofy out. Straightening back up, he made his own strike, which Aqua blocked, the two of them pushing against each other.

"One at a time, huh?" he quipped. "Fine by me…"

Leaping back from each other, Aqua and Vanitas each fired a dozen bolts of Light and Darkness magic at each other, their bolts canceling each other out. Vanitas then fired a large orb of darkness-tainted flame from his Keyblade, traveling slowly forward… and then bursting into several smaller and much faster fireballs that spread out and then flew at Aqua in a converging formation. Aqua quickly formed a Reflega barrier around herself, and as soon as the attack had been repulsed she made her barrier explode outward, shoving Vanitas back to foil his dashing strike.

Aqua went on the offensive before Vanitas could recover, Stormfall in hand as she battered at his guard, pushing him back a little. Suddenly, after she landed a couple hits, he vanished, leaving an afterimage to throw her off for a split-second. However, Aqua remembered some of his tricks from when she fought him over a decade ago, and so she was ready when he popped up from underground right behind her, moving her Keyblade behind her black to block his swing aimed at her neck, and then spinning around and lashing out with a kick that sent him tumbling back.

Vanitas recovered faster than Aqua anticipated, lunging forward and pushing her back with a barrage of blows. He managed to get past her guard and land a few hits, and she flipped away and cast Cura on herself, then rolled to dodge a falling strike meant to split her in two. She flung a few Blizzard blasts at Vanitas, who countered with slicing waves of fire from his Keyblade. He then fired two more large fire blasts that burst into waves of little fireballs coming at Aqua from several directions, and when she formed a spherical barrier around herself to stop them, he lunged in with a spearing thrust that weakened her defense enough that some of his fire bolts got through.

As Vanitas tried to press his attack, Aqua conjured a swirling wall of water around herself to shove him back, and then made the conjured water strike forth in cutting lashes, smacking him away and tearing at his bodysuit. Letting out a soft growl, he held his Keyblade high and cast Thundara, dark lightning-bolts shooting down at Aqua from above, forcing her to dodge, leap, and flip, getting grazed once or twice. Vanitas then vanished again, but Aqua then tossed her Keyblade high. Right as Vanitas emerged from beneath the ground, Aqua teleported herself to her Keyblade, quickly charging power and then firing a Prism Rain barrage down at him. Vanitas cast a barrier and braced himself as best he could, trying to weather the storm, only succeeding in blocking a portion of the multicolored Light bolts.

Aqua came back down blade-first, but Vanitas rolled to the side and then charged back in. The two of them flew into a hectic, evenly-matched duel, clanging metal ringing out through the spacious chamber. She landed a couple of hits, but when he formed an afterimage he did not go underground; instead, he 'slid' to the side out of the illusory double, rolling right and then hitting Aqua in the side with enough force to send her airborne. But even as she tumbled, she threw Stormfall in a Strike Raid that nailed Vanitas square in the chest, knocking him back. Both combatants got to their feet, using magic to heal themselves a little.

"So," he said, "you've gotten even stronger and more skilled since last time, Aqua. …But… I know your weakness, one that hasn't changed." He began charging a very large amount of Fire- and Darkness-type magic at the tip of his Keyblade. "You're still…" and he abruptly spun and pointed the mass of power straight at a hole in the barrier that opened at his mental command, straight at the comatose Ventus. "…soft-hearted!"

Aqua's eyes widened in horror as Vanitas fired his attack. Acting on instinct, she rushed over and threw herself into the blast's path, shielding Ven with her own body. The impact knocked her out cold, leaving her to collapse limp to the floor. Vanitas chuckled as he walked over, raising his Void Gear for a killing blow…

…

'_I have to wake up._'

'Yes! Please! Tell me how!'

'_The Power of Waking…_'

'I… I can't! I lost that power when Xehanort damaged my Heart!'

'_No. You still have it. It's just been sleeping, waiting to be called. I know you can…_'

In the ethereal plane dominated by a vibrant stained-glass platform bearing the likeness of Sora and of things & people precious to him, Sora glowed with a shining light from within his soul, a thought-lost power finally being reawakened. Floating upward, he formed his Keyblade, and light rolled across the circular platform, changing to a green-based image centered around Ventus' likeness. Focusing power into his weapon, Sora fired a beam of white light down into a keyhole at the center of the image. After a few seconds, a mass of light – a Heart – rose up.

'_Thank you for keeping me safe all this time, Sora…_'

The light shot upwards and out…

…

Just about to stab downward, Vanitas was startled as a blinding ethereal light erupted from the center throne. The light then shot forward, crashing into his dark barrier and quickly eroding through it, shattering it. With a roar, Ventus shot forward, swinging his Keyblade right at Vanitas' masked face. Vanitas quickly brought his own weapon up to block the blow, and the clashing power shattered the barrier.

Ventus leapt back, standing between Vanitas and the downed Aqua, Wayward Wind at the ready. Sora, Donald, & Goofy came in from behind, boxing Vanitas in, the Royal Mage also casting Curaga to rouse Aqua. Looking around, Vanitas growled softly.

"Three Guardians is more than I care to face right now. …But now that my brother is awake, I'm certain he'll come to visit us…"

With that, Vanitas vanished through a Corridor of Darkness, retreating. As Aqua got to her feet, she immediately pulled Ventus into a hug.

"Good morning, Ven…" she whispered, tears in her eyes.

"…Good morning, Aqua" he replied, returning the embrace.

After they broke apart, they noticed as 'the trio' came closer. Seeing Sora, Ventus was shocked by the similarity in appearance to Vanitas.

"You're… Sora?" he asked.

"Yep" Sora grinned. "'Sup, Ventus?"

"…I get it. You were my second chance."

"Huh?"

"Nothing" The revived Keyblade-wielder held out his hand for a shake. "You can call me Ven."

**-****_SCENE BREAK_****-**

**Mysterious Tower**

A sizable gathering was taking place in Master Yen-Sid's tower office – the old mage himself, Sora, Donald, Goofy, Mickey, Riku, Kairi, Lea, Ven, and Aqua.

"At last," the old man said, "we are assembled. With Ventus restored, we have our 'native' Seven Guardians."

"We still haven't found Terra" Mickey replied. "He _was_ serving as Master Xehanort's vessel, but now that Xehanort has been reincarnated in his own, older body, it _should_ have restored Terra. But for whatever reason, that hasn't happened…"

"We'll find him" Ventus said. "And if Xehanort's still inside him, we'll kick the old bastard out! Somehow…" He turned to the gang. "I still can't believe that Lea's become a Keyblade wielder… or that he's gotten so _tall_ – he's even taller than Terra!"

"Skinnier, though" Aqua replied with a little smirk.

"And I'm still trying to wrap my head around the fact that Ventus and Roxas are identical" the wild-haired man said. "Well, _maybe_ Roxas' hair is a little bit brighter blond… Now… All we've gotta do is save Terra from Xehanort's clutches, and find a way to get Roxas out of Sora and into a body of his own. Granted, I doubt actually _getting_ an empty body for Roxas will be easy, but when has that stopped us?"

Though smiling, Sora felt a bit melancholy inside. 'So it's just like Marie and Fate told me about – when Xion died, all memories of her existence vanished from the minds of those who knew her. Even Lea, one of her best friends…' He held a hand to his chest. 'Roxas… Xion… I promise I'll find a way to save _both_ of you.'

"I've got a lot to catch up on, don't I?" Ventus remarked.

"Not to worry" Jiminy Cricket appeared. "Chip and Dale and I have put together a new invention – the Gummiphone! We've got one for each of you all, and they have data and records and summaries on everything that's happened. You can read up if you'd like, and if anyone has questions, you can call each other!"

"Now then," Yen Sid spoke up, "I have received information from the stars. It appears that in the realm of Olympus, Hades is about to set some great plan into motion. No doubt this will mean trouble for Hercules and his friends. Sora, Donald, Goofy, tomorrow I would like you the three of you to head to Olympus and assist."

"Count me in, too" Ventus said. "I promised Hercules I'd come back to see him again. It'll be a lot later than I thought it'd be, though…"

"I wish I could help, too," Aqua said, "but I need to lead Sigma Team on a different mission; it won't be difficult, but the affair on Olympus will probably be over with by the time we're done."

"Maleficent and her allies are still searching for something" Yen-Sid continued. "We've received sightings of them on different worlds."

"When she and her new allies announced themselves," Sora said, "she mentioned the 'Book of Prophecies'… What _is_ that, Master?"

"According to my research, it is an artifact from the Age of Fairytales, back when Keyblade wielders numbered in the thousands. Supposedly, the original was penned by the Master of Masters, the first wielder to discover the method of awakening Keyblades besides the Kingdom Key you carry, Sora; he then made copies for his most skilled apprentices. It is said that he was able to see the future, somehow, and wrote down all that he'd seen in the book."

"And that kind of knowledge is _not _something we want Maleficent to get her hands on" Riku surmised.

"Wait, Maleficent?" Ventus spoke up. "She's involved in all this, too?"

"It's in the records on your Gummiphone" Jiminy replied. "Suffice to say, she's been causing trouble across the worlds for years now – she may have picked up knowledge of how to leave her home world from Xehanort, way back during you guys' first adventure."

"And now she's teamed up with two other powerful dark sorceresses" Kairi continued. "Dyspear, and Salem. They're all helping each other seek their respective goals and targets."

"There is also a third faction involved" Yen-Sid told Ven. "Only two people, Joker and Infinite, but they possess a powerful artifact that can bend space & time, and blur the lines between illusion and reality… and, they are motivated by nothing more than spreading chaos, destruction, and fear across the worlds. …I've recently received word that the empowering artifacts of Light from Infinite's world, the Chaos Emeralds, have been flung into deep space by Joker to keep them out of the hands of that world's heroes."

"Oh, no…" Mickey murmured.

"Whatever comes," Sora said, "we'll handle it. For now, let's start with helping Herc secure his home."

Yen-Sid nodded. "You are all dismissed. Ventus, I suggest reading up on as much as you can before you depart. …Good luck, to all of us…"

**-****_CHAPTER END_****-**

I've decided to start on this Book after all. However, because I'm juggling multiple tasks, I don't get as much time to write as I'd like, so expect some waits between chapters. I may try to deliberately delay the Keyblade Graveyard chapter until the Re:Mind DLC comes out, and any new material before that world, I'll have to edit into already-posted chapters…

Something to get you folks excited, though: Team Sora's travels in this Book will _not_ be limited to the worlds visited in the game…


	2. Clash with the Titans

**SEE CHAPTER ONE FOR (MOST) DISCLAIMERS**

PLEASE READ & REVIEW, AND TEND TO THE TROPE PAGES

**-****_CHAPTER START_****-**

The quartet of Sora, Ventus, Donald, & Goofy looked around the area where the Gummi Ship had warped them in: a shaded spot beneath a rocky arch in a mountainous area, some wildflowers here & there. There didn't seem to be anyone else around, though.

"No fanfare?" Sora wondered.

"Nope" Goofy replied, looking around. "Looks like we missed the Coliseum."

"Sora!" Donald snapped. "_You_ opened the gate!"

"Sorry" Sora rubbed the back of this head. "Looks like I was a little off again."

"We should probably find somewhere high up," Ven suggested, "see if we can see Thebes or the Coliseum."

"Up the mountain?" Donald suggested.

"Yeah, 'Up' is the usual direction" Sora replied, walking on.

"Well," Goofy said, "never hurts to have your head in the clouds."

"Exactly!" Sora & Ventus chorused.

As the two humans walked onward, Goofy chuckled, while Donald just sighed. The quartet walked down the path into a clearing with a pond, ringed by a handful of old decorative columns. Suddenly, a pack of Heartless spawned in ahead – several Shadows and Soldiers, led by a Large Body. As the gang rushed in, Ventus suddenly fired a Blizzard blast up at a pair of Air Soldiers swooping down at them, missing one but freezing the other's wings; as it fell he smashed its head in with his Keyblade.

Goofy threw his shield at a Soldier; tearing through it, the shield then hit the Large Body's big belly and bounced off at an angle, cutting down a pair of Shadows on its way back to Goofy. Sora used a Sonic Blade to slice two Soldiers' heads off, while Donald stunned the Large Body with a Thundara and beat a Shadow to 'death' with his staff.

The Large Body charged at Sora & Ven, who danced around its smashing fists and slashed at its sides and back. It leapt up and body-slammed, creating a shockwave that knocked both boys back, but Ventus threw his Keyblade in a Strike Raid that hit the big Heartless in the face as it was getting back up, doing enough damage to destroy it.

"I guess I'm not as rusty as I thought…" he remarked.

The other Air Soldier fell to a Fire blast from Donald and a shield bash from Goofy, and the quartet moved on, using a little speed-boost and surface-gripping magic to dash up an old decorative wall. Continuing upward, up a few rock-walls, they passed through an old archway and reached a cliff-edge overlooking the mountain range and a field below, as well as a town in the distance.

"I think we might be goin' in circles…" Goofy said.

"Did we make a turn at the wrong rock?" Sora wondered. "Heeeyy, Herculeees! Where are you!?"

**OLYMPUS**

Suddenly, a mass of wispy blackness floated in from above, landing behind the group and forming into a gray-robed figure with blue skin, yellow eyes, pointy teeth, and a flickering blue hair for flames.

"All right," he talked to himself, not yet noticing the group, "I know I dotted my I's, crossed my T's, zeroed the hero. So, what gives? Who could possibly be trying to give me a migraine by yodeling that yutz's name?"

It was then that he took notice of the quartet, a deadpan expression forming on his face. Ventus was on guard, but the other three just looked annoyed.

"Really?" Sora sighed. "Hades?"

"Oh, it's just _you_" the demon-lord muttered. "_Oy vey._"

"Just us? Even for you, that's cold."

"Oh, don't you forget, shrimpy, I can always turn up the heat!" It was then that he noticed Ventus. "…Huh. Weren't you one of those Keyblader kids from a decade ago? What, did you find the secret to eternal youth or something?"

"I've been in magically-induced stasis for the past 11 or 12 years," Ven replied, crossing his arms, "while my Heart repaired itself. And don't think I've forgotten about how _you_ tried to corrupt Terra!"

"Hey, hey, I was tryin' to give the kid some actually decent advice! If he denied his own darkness, suppressed that part of himself, it would eventually come back to bite him. Considering I don't see him around, I'm guessin' that's what happened?"

"Xehanort stole his body," Goofy replied, "to get himself a younger, stronger vessel."

Hades' eyes actually widened. "Bodyjacking? Jeez, even for me, that kinda crosses a line. Poor kid…"

"Wait…" Goofy looked around. "If Hades is here, then where's Herc?"

"What is everyone's infatuation with that dolt!?" Hades suddenly snapped, flaring red for a few seconds before regaining control. "Y'know what? Never mind, never mind. I'm cool. I'm good. Because… Wonderboy will be outta my hair soon enough."

"So you're up to no good again!" Sora drew his Keyblade.

"Of course he is" Goofy drew his shield, while Donald and Ven readied their weapons as well, Donald already readying a Blizzard spell.

"Whoa, easy" Hades turned around. "What is this, Sparta? Kind of on a schedule; don't have time to toss around the ol' fire & brimstone. The whole cosmos is basically waiting for me to, y'know, conquer it!"

As he walked away, Sora sighed and dispelled his weapon, the others following his lead. "Poor Hades" he remarked. "He thinks he can actually pull it off this time."

In response, Hades looked to the sky, spreading his arms. "Where are my Titans!? Show me your power!"

The sky suddenly darkened, dark clouds swirling overhead with crackling thunder and howling wind, while the earth began to tremble.

"Okay, maybe there's something _to_ his boasting!" Ven said.

Lava began to flow out of a nearby mountaintop, while a freezing wind began to blow. Hades was unaffected, but the growing gale, which now had chunks of rock in it, pushed the quartet back, and soon they were unable to endure. With cries of shock and panic, they were all blown away, sent hurtling off the mountain.

"Ahh…" Hades smiled, watching them 'leave'. "That sent 'em sailing." His smile dropped as he plotted their trajectory. "Sailing right to where I left… Eh, no biggie." He turned to the behemoths gathered behind him. "Nice work, boys! So, back to the whole 'cosmic coup' thing?"

The enormous entities turned and marched on. As Hades waved goodbye, however, a roiling black portal formed behind him.

"…Ugh. Really? Are you kidding? Jeez, Louise; Seriously, when it rains, it pours. Okay, who's the new pest?"

"Hey now," Pete replied as he and Maleficent emerged from the dark gateway, "that ain't no way to say hello, 'specially to your old friends."

"Oh, perfect, now I gotta put up with _you two_. Funny, I don't remember you doing me any memorable favors. So, you can keep your Heartless this time. I'm going back to my original plan. All right? So, toodle-oo! Exit's thataway. Hey, it was great seein' ya! Happy trails!"

"We are not here for you" Maleficent replied. "I have my own business to attend to. All I need to know is if there is a distinctive… black box… somewhere in this world? It's around the size of a good-size luggage case, supposedly with a silver-lined red symbol on it.

"Hmmm…" Hades though. "Black box, suitcase-sized, red symbol… Hm, maybe Pandora's Box? Nah, that's smaller and a different color. …Sorry, I've never heard of something like that around here. But hey, I don't know literally _everything_ that's in this world, so it _could_ be here, maybe. What's _in_ the box, anyhoo?"

"Nobody really knows" Pete replied. "But supposedly, the Keyblade Master of Masters entrusted it to one of his apprentices, a long, long time ago. Only the head guy and that one apprentice knew what was in it. But if it belonged to a bigshot like the Master of Masters, and he went so far in keepin' it secret…"

"…Then it must be something valuable or powerful," Maleficent finished, "something worth finding."

"A relic from the Age of Fairytales, huh? …Welp! Good luck finding it!"

Maleficent sighed. "Very well, then. Come along, Pete; we must continue our search elsewhere. Perhaps one of Dyspear's or Salem's agents may have a clue…."

"Hm? You got new allies now, you old fae?"

Maleficent smirked. "Indeed I do. And one of them has just as much ire towards the gods as you do…"

**-****_SCENE BREAK_****-**

In the battered town, as the quartet hurtled through the air, Ventus formed his Keyblade Glider, getting balance on it and quickly zooming in to catch Donald. He then prepared to go for Sora & Goofy, but someone beat him to it – a muscular redhead who leapt into the air and caught them both, bringing them groundside.

"See?" Sora said. "Found him!"

"Yep, I guess this counts!" Goofy replied.

As Hercules set them down, Ven flew down with Donald.

"Sora, Donald, Goofy!" Hercules grinned. "You _literally_ dropped in! Gotta say, I'm impressed. And… Wait… Ven!? It's been years! A-And you look like you haven't changed a bit!"

"I was in a magical coma, basically," Ventus replied, "and it was only yesterday that my Heart and body were finally reunited and I woke up. But hey, I promised I'd come back once you were a true hero!"

"That you did! Hey, how are Terra and Aqua?"

Ventus' smile dropped. "Aqua's fine, though she was trapped in the Realm of Darkness for about 10 years. Terra…" he sighed. "Master Xehanort, an elderly, evil Keyblade-wielder, stole Terra's body."

Hercules looked shocked and dismayed at that. "Stole his body? Oh no…"

"So… Where's Zack? Did he make 'true hero', too?"

Herc sighed. "Ven… I've got some bad news. I hadn't heard from Zack in a long time, so I ended up going to Hades and asking him if he knew anything. …Zack is dead, Ventus."

"W… What?" Ventus almost fell over. "B-But when? How?"

"According to Hades' afterlife records, a few years ago, Zack was killed by someone named Sephiroth."

"Sephiroth?!" Sora gasped. "Didn't we fight him a few months ago?!"

"That wasn't the original Sephiroth, Sora" Goofy replied. "Remember? That 'Sephiroth' we fought was Cloud's inner darkness made manifest outside of him; Cloud musta known the 'original' Sephiroth enough that his own darkness took Sephiroth's form and personality."

"Yeah," Hercules added, "Hades' records show that Sephiroth – the _real_ Sephiroth – was killed by Cloud not too long after he killed Zack. But it sounds like Cloud had enough inner demons that they brought back a specter of him, of sorts."

Ventus sighed.

"So, what's going on around here?" Sora asked.

He looked around at the damaged buildings, a handful of fires burning.

"Take a guess…" Herc sighed. "Starts with an H."

"Ah, I get the picture. Actually, we bumped into the H-ster on the way here.."

"He said somethin' about conquering the whole cosmos" Goofy added.

"All of it, huh?" Hercules replied. "Nice of him to show a little self-restraint. Well, whatever he's planning, I'll send him running back across the Styx.

"Heh, that's our Herc!" Sora grinned.

They started heading into town, towards the big statue of Hercules. Suddenly, a barrage of fireballs dropped in from the sky, one of them knocking the statue over. The 'fireballs' hit the ground, revealed to be a pack of the Pureblood Heartless known as Flame Cores. The Flame Cores started spitting fireballs everywhere, setting more things ablaze. Sora rushed in first, firing a Water spell at the closest one, knocking it back and doing quite a bit of damage; he gave it a few whacks to finish it off.

Hercules gave Ventus a boost, tossing him high so he could come back down with a shockwave slam that sent Flame Cores tumbling. A few Blizzaga shots from Donald took one down, and a 'Goofy Tornado' dealt with another. Hercules picked up a chunk of rubble the size of himself, wound up and tossed it, smashing another Flame Core into paste. Sora darted about, spinning around columns to give him and his strikes momentum, killing more of the flaming Heartless. Finally, a falling strike from Ventus bisected the last Flame Core.

Just then, Pegasus flew in with Meg and Phil aboard.

"Boy," she said, "that didn't look so fun."

"No," Hercules replied, "not with the Heartless involved. We're just lucky our friends showed up."

"Well, whaddya know. Guess I owe you guys a big thank-you – Sora, Donald, Goofy, and… who?"

"Whoa, wait a minute" Phil spoke up. "Ven!? Is that you!? Where you been, kid!? And you ain't aged a day!"

"I'm gettin' that a lot…" Ven rubbed at his neck. "Long story short, decade-long magical coma. But I'm alright now, and so is Aqua. Terra, though…"

"Some big baddie named Xehanort body-snatched Terra, apparently" Hercules explained.

"Jeez…" Phil sighed. "All the potential that kid had, and he ends up as somebody else's vessel? That stinks. So, this Xehanort creep – he strong?"

"Very" Sora replied. "Even as an old man, he was stupidly powerful, both physically and magically."

"And with a younger, stronger body… Hoh, boy" Phil winced.

"We'll get Terra back" Ventus said with conviction. "Somehow…"

"Meg, Phil," Hercules spoke up, "you need to get someplace safer. We'll search the city and make sure everyone manages to get clear of the fire."

"Be careful, Wonderboy…" Meg implored.

"I will." He turned to the travelers. "So, you guys in!"

"Of course we're in!" Sora replied.

"We're heroes!" Donald added.

Megara chuckled. "Break a leg, then, heroes."

She and Phil got back aboard Pegasus, who took off and headed outside the city. Suddenly, Goofy turned and pointed at a rubble pile on the other end of the plaza, closer to the fire… where a little girl was caught, up way too high to get down safely, and the fire was slowly getting closer to her. Sora took off running, but Ven summoned his Keyblade Glider and sped ahead, reaching the girl a lot faster. Grabbing her, he brought her back down to safety, and she hugged him.

"Thank you…" she muttered, trying not to burst out crying. "Thank you so much!"

Once the girl took off running to find her family, Sora and the others caught up with Ven. While Hercules headed off to help others in peril, the traveler quartet headed further into the city. Heading down some stairs, they encountered another pack of Flame Cores. This time, Donald willed his power over to Sora, who was enveloped in a shimmering blue glow that revealed his outfit had turned mostly blue in some places. With the magical boost of Wisdom Form, Sora began skating around, firing supercharged Blizzard and Water spells at the Flame Cores, quickly culling their numbers. Goofy and Ven handled the few survivors, and Sora disengaged his Form Change and led them onward.

Their way was blocked by a sea of flames covering the floor in an alleyway. However, Sora, Donald, & Goofy rode across on the latter's shield, while Ven used Wind magic to launch himself over the flames. Sliding down a series of slanted rubble-strewn roofs, they reached a rooftop with some pottery on it… and the 'pottery' sprouted jet-black arms and charged at them, beady yellow eyes peeking out from within the lids. The camouflaged Heartless were quickly swatted by Goofy & Ven, the element of surprise not helping them much.

Down below, a squad of Soldiers were harassing a civilian couple. Ventus leapt in, coming down on one with a falling slash that cut it down. Donald blasted another Soldier with a Firaga that burnt it to a crisp, while a Strike Raid from Sora cut down the rest. A flock of Air Soldiers flew in, and Goofy boosted Ven up to catch most of them in a whirlwind that drew them into a spiraling slash, while Donald used Thundaga to smite the rest.

With the civilians safe, the quarter pressed on, making their way through rubble and over rooftops. A building was demolished by a Flame Core 'meteor' ("Gawrsh, I hope they got insurance…) as the gang reached the gardens, and in a nearby building a man was being menaced by Soldiers and Shadows, which a Thundaga barrage from Sora & Donald made short work of. Moving through the gardens, they came across a woman pinned atop a pillar by a pack of Flame Cores below. A barrage of Strike Raid strikes from Sora & Ventus took most of them out, and some Watera blasts from Donald killed the rest.

"We'd better try and catch up with Herc" Goofy said as he helped the lady down.

"Wait, you guys know Hercules?" the young woman asked.

"Yeah" Sora replied. "We've helped him out a few times, and the last time ended with us being dubbed honorary heroes!"

As they passed through the gardens, moving past a fallen statue of Achilles (broken at, of course, the heel), they hurried down a slope as another building came down. Running along a wall to cross a field of flaming rubble, they were ambushed by a flock of Air Soldiers. Sora and Ventus combined Aero-type spells to catch the Heartless in a whirlwind of slicing wind, and Donald zapped them all with a Thundaga while they were helpless.

Reaching another small plaza, they found a woman & her child being harassed by Soldiers. Donald & Goofy took the lead, magic blasts and shield bashes cutting most of the Heartless down, a lone survivor being destroyed by a Sonic Blade strike from Sora. Further along, another civilian was being pursued by a few Air Soldiers, but Blizzard blasts from Ven & Donald clipped the monsters' wings.

After shield-surfing across another superheated area, they headed down some steps and encountered a squad of Bizarre Archers. Goofy used his shield to protect Sora from an arrow, and Donald fired back with a Blizzara shot that destroyed one of them; these archer Heartless weren't very durable, it seemed. Ventus formed an Aero barrier around himself that deflected arrows sent his way, letting him get in close and cut down several of the little fiends. Sora pitched in, too, quickly taking out the rest.

Hurrying down an alley and into a burning, collapsing building, they found Hercules straining to hold up a massive mound of rubble from crushing some helpless civilians.

"Herc!"

As the gang ran in, the building rumbled. Hercules groaned as the weight shifted and grew, while falling rubble blocked the entrance. Then, a pack of Flame Cores spawned in as well.

"Alright guys, we gotta do this _quick_!" Sora said.

The quartet charged in, with Donald again giving Sora the power to go into Wisdom Form. The magic-boosted young warrior's Water and Blizzard spells began quickly chipping away at the fire Heartless' numbers, with Goofy & Ven backing him up. The remaining Flame Cores were finished off when Sora channeled a massive amount of magic into an overcharged "Waterza" that doused and drowned the lot of them.

"Get the people out!" Hercules ordered.

Donald blasted a hole through the rubble blocking the entrance, allowing him and the others to quickly usher the trapped family to safety. However, before they could go back in to get Herc, the entire building collapsed, shaking ground and clouds of dust & rubble forcing them all to hunker down. Sora and the gang looked shocked and despondent, but then the big man himself waded out of the rubble, brushing himself off.

"Jeez, you scared us!" Ven said.

"Ah, it was nothing" Hercules replied. "That's what _these_ are for!" he flexed.

Suddenly, they were startled by a dark portal opening. A black-robed figure waltzed out, hood down to reveal a head of grey-streaked black hair, a scarred face, and an eyepatch.

"Very nice" Xigbar clapped. "Full marks! All this altruism is giving me the warm-&-fuzzies… So, then… Does having a Heart of light come with an extremely good insurance policy? Oh, and if it isn't Ventus! Finally woke up from your nap, huh? Still got that look like I just drowned your goldfish, I see…"

"Just say what you mean, Xigbar" Sora glared.

"Oh, but I _did_. No good will ever come from putting other people first."

"I was able to save Meg's life because I was ready to risk my own" Hercules retorted.

"Because you've got friends in high places, you mean, Mr. Demigod. Tricks like that don't fly for your average joe."

"What do _you_ know?" Sora snapped. "You weren't even there! If you were, you'd admire Herc's courage."

"I don't admire one guy leaping into danger if it means someone else might have to jump in to save him." Xigbar looked at the rubble. "You're all just lining up to lose out – dooming others to take the fall with ya. Oh, and you can spare me the usual party line. Yes, Hearts are powerful when they're connected. But if you put too much of that power into one place, some of those Hearts might end up breaking. …Still, Sora, that doesn't mean you should change. Accept the power you're given. Find the Hearts joined to yours."

"Why would I ever take advice from _you_?!"

"As if! You don't have any choice but to follow this sweet little trail of breadcrumbs. And at the end, you'll finally realize what destiny has in store for you. In fact… your reward might be just around the corner…"

Chuckling, Xigbar stepped through a Corridor of Darkness, vanishing.

"Don't let him bother you, Sora" Hercules said. "He's just trying to get under your skin 'cause he thinks he can. But we'll prove him wrong. We'll show him our sacrifices haven't been for nothing."

"…You're right!"

"Besides," Goofy said, "we're already proof enough!"

"We're a team!" Donald added. "When we're together, we can do anything!"

"Even way back when," Ventus said, "Braig loved trying to break people down with words. But it didn't work then, and it won't work now!"

As the gang moved onward, Sora couldn't help but wonder: '_What_ reward?'

Pushing forward, the quintet cut through a waterway into a large chamber. They were met by the side of a _huge_ Heartless, armored in rock-like greyish-purple armor, wielding a massive battle-axe. The 'Rock Troll' swung its massive stony blade, and Ven, Herc, & Sora leapt high while Donald & Goofy hit the dirt, dodging the strike that would've pulverized them. Sora launched Hercules forward & down, and the hero landed a punch that cracked the huge Heartless' stony face-armor and knocked it over. Before he could land another blow, though, a small flock of Air Soldiers got in his way, giving their leader time to get back on its feet. Ventus and Goofy rolled to dodge a downward crushing swing that fractured the earth where it hit, and the Keyblader dashed in and started slashing and striking. Sora joined in, and the Rock Troll growled and tried to shake the two boys off.

As Donald helped Hercules take out the lesser Heartless, Sora was sent flying by a hit from the Rock Troll's weapon. He cast Cura on himself, and then fired Blizzara blasts at the monster, distracting it from a 'Goofy Bombardier' special courtesy of Goofy & Hercules that scored a mighty direct hit. Donald conjured a wave of explosive firework-rockets, chipping away at the Rock Troll's armor, and Hercules ran in, leaping off the Heartless' axe and channeling godly power into his fist. The resulting punch made a shockwave as it knocked the Heartless back and caved in its chest armor, and a quick barrage of strikes to the head from Sora finished the job, the monster coming apart into Darkness particles and a released Heart.

Pegasus flew in, Meg and Phil astride.

"Nice job, Wonderboys" Meg said. "We checked the whole area. It looks like everyone's safe."

"That's great" Herc replied. "We did what we could."

Suddenly, Pegasus drew everyone's attention to Mt. Olympus in the distance. A massive swirling dark-grey cloud was circling around it, obscuring the peak of the divine mountain from view.

"Hades…" Hercules growled.

"He's really pullin' out all the stops this time…" Phil remarked.

Sora looked to Donald, Goofy, & Ventus, and nodded. "Herc! Let's go!"

"Right" the hero nodded, thankful for the support.

-_Break_-

Outside the city of Thebes, the quintet began making their way through the flowery fields and old statues & columns that lined the way up toward Mt. Olympus. A river flowed through the middle of the path, the fish oblivious to the chaos going on.

"That's odd" Hercules remarked. "The river's never this full…"

As they started making their way upstream, a flock of Air Soldiers spawned in, but a Thundaga barrage from Sora & Donald made short work of them. Further along, a pack of Water Cores burst up out of the river and started firing concussive water blasts at them. Hercules hefted a boulder, using it as a shield to block a few blasts and then hurling it at the closest Water Core, smashing the Heartless flat. Ventus darted in and started slashing a few of them, taking out one, but another one formed a water barrier around itself that pushed him back, and then started flitting through the air while engulfed in surging water, a soaking tackle almost crushing Ven against a rock wall. Sora hit that Water Core with a Blizzard blast, freezing it solid, and a punch from Hercules shattered it.

A Water Core charged at Goofy, and he timed a parry with his shield that bashed the monster back and stunned it, letting Donald zap it with Thundaga to finish it off. Sora and Ventus wreathed their Keyblades in Wind-type magic for extra reach and cutting power, carving through more of the Water Cores. A lone survivor tried to flee, but Hercules came down from above with a kick that splattered it all over.

With the water-manipulating Heartless destroyed, the raging river calmed, receding to its normal banks. The gang started making their way up the cliffside, a couple of combination attacks from Sora & Goofy and from Ven & Hercules making quick work of a pack of Soldiers that tried to bar their path.

After several minutes of climbing, wall-running, and Heartless-killing (including a pack of Shadows that Hercules lured in close and then vaporized with a dome-shaped field of divine energy), they reached an old courtyard with pillars and murals and a giant statue of Zeus, where they were ambushed by another pack of Pureblood Heartless, these ones with spiky armored hides – Earth Cores. Goofy lent his power to Sora, allowing the youth to assume his red-hued Valor Form, using his increased strength and speed to start blitzing through the Heartless. Donald used a Zero Gravira to hoist a few Earth Cores into the air, letting Ven & Herc cut them down. As Sora released a cutting wave of Light through the air with his twin Keyblades, it cut the two remaining Earth Cores apart and forced the lone ambush-attempter up to the surface, where Donald blasted it with Watera and Ventus slashed it apart.

Onwards and upwards they went, smashing through a pack of Soldiers & Air Soldiers on their way, soon reaching the point where Team Sora had first arrived only to be sent flying by Hades. After passing through a cave and a narrow passage through the rocks, the mountain began to rumble ominously.

"This sure does feel awfully familiar…" Goofy remarked.

"Yeah," Sora replied, "just like before."

"Guys, this is getting worse by the minute" Hercules said, looking worriedly up at the obscured peak of Mt. Olympus. "I hope I'm wrong, but my family may need me."

He whistled loudly, and after a few seconds Pegasus flew in.

"Sora, I'm gonna fly ahead. You've been a big help, but… leave the rest to me."

"Family?" Ventus asked, confused.

"Yeah" Herc grinned as he mounted his winged steed. "My dad's Zeus, king of the gods."

With that, he took off, leaving the gang's stunned exclamations in his wake.

"His father is a _god_?" Sora gaped, astonished. "But, doesn't that mean Herc is a god, too?"

"I think it does" Goofy replied.

"No wonder he's so strong!" Donald remarked.

"Then he'll be okay!" Goofy added.

"…Won't he?" Donald asked.

"No" Sora replied. "The Seekers of Darkness are here. He'll need our help."

"That's a good point" Ventus said. "We'd better get after him."

The quartet hurried on. As they reached a point of the mountainside that looked like it could be ran up, however, the earth rumbled again. High up at the top of the slope, an enormous figure stood, a massive bulky juggernaut made of animated stone, two glowing-eyed heads atop its extra-broad shoulders.

"A Titan!" Donald exclaimed.

The Rock Titan hurled the massive boulder down at the heroes, who scattered to dodge it and started running up the mountainside. As they ascended, the Titan continuously conjured huge rocks and boulders to drop down at them, forcing them to take evasive maneuvers. About halfway up, the sky overhead rapidly darkened, grey and purple clouds blotting out the sun as lightning crackled. Suddenly, the Rock Titan stomped its foot, creating a massive rockslide. Sora took the lead in making magic-powered leaps onto and running up the falling rocks, climbing even faster, with Ven, Donald, & Goofy following in his wake.

Reaching more level ground on the cliffside, the team cut through a cave and were beset by a pack of Shadows, Soldiers, and Air Soldiers. Sora & Donald combined their magic to conjure a wave of heat-seeking firework-rockets, cutting the Heartless' numbers by two-thirds. Goofy & Ven made short work of the rest.

At the other side of the cave, with rain pouring down, the Rock Titan re-emerged at the top of another sheer cliff. Dodging falling boulders, they ran their way up the rockface, arriving at the Titan's massive feet. Sora and Ventus started hacking at the giant's ankles, and it tried to crush them with shockwave-producing stomps and waves of stone spears shooting up from the ground. Donald & Goofy came in to assist, a Blizzaga barrage and a Goofy Tornado chipping away at the Titan's feet.

Soon, the Rock Titan lost its footing and fell backwards. Sora & Ven leapt up its body, reaching its two huge heads, and started attacking while dodging the heads' flailing attempts to bash and crush them. Before long the Rock Titan's feet regenerated the damage, and its massive hands swatted the boys away.

As they fell through the air, Ventus conjured his Keyblade Glider, grabbing Sora. They flew about, firing mana blasts and attack spells at the Rock Titan and dodging its attempts to swat them out of the sky. Gradually they chipped away at the monster's stamina, angering it further in the process, slowly pushing it closer to the cliff edge. A wave of firework-rockets from Donald struck the Rock Titan in the faces, leaving it blindly staggering forward until it was left teetering over the edge, trying to maintain its balance. Then, from behind, Sora leapt off Ven's Keyblade Glider and formed a Rasengan, slamming it into the Rock Titan's upper back. The final hit knocked the Titan forward just enough that gravity overcame its balance, and the monster plummeted over the edge and began tumbling all the way down the mountain, roaring in fury as it went.

"Yes!" Sora pumped his fist as the gang regrouped, watching the Titan tumble. "That's one down!"

"They're not so tough by themselves!" Goofy added.

"That one was dumb as a rock!" Donald said.

"Just three more to go," Ven said, "plus Hades himself. Let's get a move on."

The quartet hurried on & up, soon passing into a cave that sheltered them from the pouring rain. At the far end of the cave, a rockslide had blocked the way, but light was shining through the gaps. They worked together to blast their way through, and were met by the sight of the ground transitioning to what looked like solid clouds, leading up to a set of stairs and then a pair of massive golden arches. A radiant golden light was shining from further in.

Hurrying up the stairs, they passed through a set of ornate doors which opened up to reveal a massive courtyard, resplendent and beautiful, with pillars and stairways and solid-cloud formations all together to form a magnificent view – the home of the gods.

"Whoa…" Sora looked around. "Is this Olympus?"

"Gawrsh, it's amazing!" Goofy took in the scenery.

Suddenly, up ahead a new kind of Heartless emerged – humanoid, muscular, with grey skin, yellow eyes, and lightning-shaped beards, clad in black armor with blue highlights along with short armored skirts and twin gauntlets. They had goat-like hooves, and their helmets had horns jutting out. Lowering their armored visors, the squad of Satyrs took formation and charged as one.

The heroes barely avoided being trampled by the horde, and attempts to blast them apart with magic didn't accomplish much, the Satyrs simply breaking into teams of 4 or 5 and continuing their charging group-tackles. Donald & Goofy both lent their power to Sora, who was enveloped in a golden glow, parts of his outfit turning golden-yellow as a second Keyblade formed floating beside him. Using the boots his Master Form gave him, Sora fired a wave of Firaga blasts that finally broke the Satyrs' formation, followed by a boosted Thundaga that destroyed a few of them.

As Sora rushed in and started hacking Heartless apart, his friends joined in as well. Goofy used his shield of off-balance a Satyr, letting Ventus cut it down with a quick combo, and Donald froze one solid so Sora could shatter it. The quartet worked together, with Sora taking the lead as he slashed and blasted anything in range.

"I've gotta ask Master Yen-Sid about finding a way for me to use Drive Forms…" Ventus remarked to himself as he beheaded a Satyr.

As the last of the Heartless squad fell, Team Sora continued on, moving up ornate stairways and through gilded hallways. At one point, an Earth Core blocking their way formed a secondary 'body' of animated sand, but Sora & Ven just blasted it with Water spells that made its now-soggy shell crumble and fall apart, leaving the Earth Core vulnerable to a barrage of spinning strikes to the face from Goofy that finished it off. Further along, Ventus used a powerful tornado-esque Wind attack to mop up a pack of Soldiers, plus a Strike Raid to take out the one that narrowly avoided it.

Grinding along a 'rail' of solid light brought them further into Olympus, and when a squadron of Air Soldiers carrying Bizarre Archers tried to fly in, Ven & Donald zapped them with Thundaga, making the flyers drop their hapless cargo to plummet into the abyss, and a wave of Rangarok bolts from Sora then took out the wounded Air Soldiers. A soaring dive into another sector brought them closer to the divine court, as well as into an attempted ambush by Satyrs with Bizarre Archer fire-support. Sora 'donated' Light power to Ventus, who used a powerful Salvation spell to wipe out all but a couple of Satyrs which Sora quickly cut down, while Donald & Goofy picked off the archers.

Up ahead, a wavering pillar of purple light had numerous chunks of debris orbiting around it. Charging themselves with magic, the quartet leapt high and used these chunks as springboards, going higher and higher. Finally, they reached the entrance to a large court, pushing their way past a pair of massive golden gates. Inside, the Lava and Ice Titans were combining their powers to encase an irate, struggling Zeus in enchanted stone.

"I swear to you, Hades," he growled, "when I get out of th-"

He was cut off as the lava & ice encased him completely.

"Nope," Hades conjured a spiky black throne, having a seat in it, "_I'm_ the one giving orders now, bolt boy."

"Don't get too comfortable, Hades!" Hercules shouted as he flew up aboard Pegasus, sword drawn.

"We're gonna stop you!" Sora added as he & the gang readied weapons.

Carried by Pegasus, Hercules cut through the chains holding the other gods captive, making Hades turn red with fury.

"Get them!" he ordered the Titans.

The Ice, Lava, and Wind Titans began to advance on Team Sora, who were joined by Hercules. The Wind Titan released a directed wave of gale-force wind that pushed the heroes and pinned them in place, while the Ice and Lava Titans fired sweeping beams of their respective elements toward them. Hercules channeled his godly power into Goofy's shield, which was held forward glowing with golden light, repelling the deadly attacks. Sora, Donald, & Goofy then charged at the Lava Titan, while Ventus & Hercules went for the Ice Titan.

The Lava Titan conjured a wave of fireballs raining down at the trio, who hunkered down under the protective dome of Sora's Reflega. As soon as the attack stopped, Sora channeled the remaining energy of his shield spell into a blast of Light magic that hit the Lava Titan in the face. He and Donald then started firing Blizzaga spells at the Titan, with Goofy intercepting the blasts of fire and magma it tried to stop them with.

Ventus and Hercules jumped their way up the Ice Titan's body, punching and slashing as they went. The titan hissed and made spikes of ice jut out from its body, trying to skewer its attackers, forcing them to be a little more defensive. A wave of ice spears shot up at Herc from below, but Ven got in their path and made a spinning wind barrier that deflected them, hooking the last one with his Keyblade's teeth and flinging it at the Ice Titan to hit it in the chest. Hercules tried to move in with a super-strength punch, but the Titan formed an ice barrier to protect itself and countered with a strike from its icy claws that knocked the hero back.

Sora was engulfed in blue as he took his Wisdom Form, gliding around and firing boosted Water and Blizzard spells at the Lava Titan. The monster was soon shrouded in steam, its movements beginning to slow as its temperature started dropping. The Lava Titan breathed out a 'beam' of focused lava that Sora skated around, his magic protecting him from the heat, and then he & Goofy jumped up high, and Sora flung his spiraling friend down in a "Goofy Bombardier" special that knocked the Lava Titan for a loop. Sora then poured his remaining Wisdom Form energy into a huge blast of magical power that struck the Lava Titan in the head, seemingly putting it down for the count.

As Hercules charged at the Ice Titan, Ventus blasted it with Firaga shots from the side, weakening and distracting it. Herc released a flurry of divine-strength punches that sent the Ice Titan reeling, blowing 'little' chunks out of its ice-crystal body. After a few seconds it retaliated with a swirling wave of sharp ice shards around itself, and then it flung a wave of ice spears from its hand at Ventus. Ven deflected one of them back at it, nailing the Ice Titan in the face and stunning it, giving him and Herc room to pound on it some more. One final Herculean punch to the forehead, and the Titan toppled.

As the two groups met back up in the middle, the Wind Titan made itself known again. The enormous living tornado glared down at them with the red eyes that were its only discernible features, and swirling dark clouds enveloped the area. The Titan flew up and then pointed the top of its 'funnel' at the heroes, firing a barrage of chunks of rubble the size of small houses. Hercules' divine barrier and the two Keyblade-wielders' Reflega spells managed to just barely weather the storm, and Donald & Sora fired a few Firaga blasts at the Wind Titan, doing a bit of damage.

The Wind Titan then flew over to the dazed Lava Titan, taking position over it and sucking up some of its magma. The living tornado then formed a pair of arms ending in 'smaller' tornadoes, and started rapid-fire giant bullets of lava at the heroes. Sora, Donald, & Ventus took evasive action, while Goofy used his enchanted shield to deflect the shots sent his way, and Hercules actually started punching some of them back at the Wind Titan. Using the updraft of the battlefield to get some extra air, Sora leapt high & close and started slashing at the Titan's "face" with his Keyblade, dealing a few hits until the Titan pulsed its body outward and flung him away.

Now, the Titan moved over to its other downed sibling. It began releasing freezing wind and fusillades of ice spears at the heroes, and Sora & Donald did their best to counter with a sizable barrage of firework-rockets. As the Wind Titan briefly ran dry on ammunition, Ventus went on the offensive, firing waves of magic bolts from his Keyblade that battered the monster's elemental body. Hercules rushed in next, dealing punches that sent shockwaves through the wind-monster's body.

The Wind Titan surged with rage, and it flared its body outwards in a flash, catching the heroes and flinging them sky-high. As they began to plummet, it started firing blasts of rubble, magma, and ice up at them, forcing them to weave around through the air. Gritting his teeth as he powered through a shotgun-blast of stone, Sora started forming a Rasengan… and then Ventus flew in next to him and started adding his wind energy to it. Soon, the orb of energy was half-again the size of a normal one, glowing bluish-white with four little curved blades of Wind energy rapidly circle around it, a soft keening sound issuing forth.

The two Keyblade heroes kicked off a rubble chunk and launched themselves downward, right at the Wind Titan. They thrusted the Wind Release Rasengan forward, clashing it against the living tornado's defenses. With a whirring, grinding sound, they shoved against the Wind Titan's counterforce, until finally they broke through. The giant entity was violently churned up by the release of energy from the detonating attack, blades of wind slashing through it as it was blown back to slam into the ground, stunned. The wind around the area quickly died down, letting the heroes get back on their feet.

Unfortunately, the three Titans managed to collect themselves, regaining their senses and advancing menacingly on the heroes. What's more, the Rock Titan appeared from the side, having finally finished its ascent of Mt. Olympus to join its brothers.

"Uh-oh, now it's all four of them!" Goofy exclaimed.

"So what?" Sora replied. "It's five of us versus only four of them!"

"Actually," Hercules said, "I think I can make it six…"

He then charged at the massive pillar of stone in the center of the courtyard, leaping to the top and grabbing hold. Pulling with all his might, he shattered the stone coffin, freeing Zeus.

"No…" Hades started panicking, quickly turning red. "Nono_nono!-!_"

"Thank you, my boy" Zeus smiled at his son, hands on the younger hero's shoulders." He then conjured a set of shimmering golden lightning bolts. "Now, watch your old man work!"

He threw a few at the Rock Titan's heads, stunning it. Now visibly afraid, the four Titans turned and began to flee. Thinking fast, Hercules ran and caught the Wind Titan by its base, and began flinging the living tornado around. The other three Titans were haplessly sucked up, and then Hercules put all his might into tossing the Titans high into the sky, into space. Several seconds later, there was a mighty explosion as the ancient monsters were finally vanquished.

"We did it!" Team Sora cheered as Herc & Zeus high-fived.

"I can't _believe it_!" Hades fumed. "I put 18 years into that plan and you _ruined_ it! I really, _really_ don't like you…!"

"Just give it up, already!" Sora replied. "You'll never beat Herc, no matter how many times you try."

"Yeah, stay in the Underworld where you belong" Goofy added.

"Go have the time of your afterlife!" Donald remarked.

"_Enough_! I did not come this far to be ridiculed by Zeusy high-&-mighty, his little sunspot, and a quartet of _clowns!-!_" He flared red. "Y'know what? I'll just go ahead and _kill you!-!_"

"Yo, Hades" Hercules got his attention. Trembling with rage, Hades slowly turned to see Herc smirking. "The exit is _that_ way."

"You… You'll all pay for this! I have a very, _very_ long memory!" He sighed as he went back to blue. "Maybe Maleficent is having better luck on her little box hunt…"

"Box hunt?" Ventus said.

"Yeah, some kinda relic from the Age of Fairytales, whatever. And if you wanna stop her…" He smirked as a fiery portal swallowed him up. "You'll have to figure out how by yourselves…"

"Well…" Donald said. "_That's_ ominous…"

-_Break_-

"You sure you wanna leave all this behind?" Sora asked Hercules.

"Isn't Olympus your home?" Goofy added.

"And your family" Donald added.

"I can see my family anytime I want" Hercules replied. "If I stayed, I'd have to be apart from the person I love most… and that life would be empty."

He looked down the gilded steps, where Megara was waiting for him.

"I finally know where I belong" he said.

He ran down the steps to his beloved, and they embraced.

**-****_SCENE BREAK_****-**

**Mysterious Tower**

As Riku emerged from the dark gateway, returning from his brief sojourn into the Realm of Darkness, he held a hand to his chest, feeling the Light that had called to him from across the realms.

'You'll be safe with me' he thought. 'I promise.'

Heading up to Yen Sid's office, he arrived just as Sora & company were finishing their debriefing.

"One more thing, Master" Sora said. "Hades mentioned something about Maleficent searching for a 'box', supposedly a relic from the… Age of Fairytales?"

After a few seconds, the old master's eyes widened. "Sora," he said, "Donald, Goofy, Ventus, Riku… You know, by now, of how our outer-Realm allies have access to fictional versions of your adventures, yes?"

"Any chance they can tell us how this one's gonna end?" Ven asked.

"No, unfortunately. However, I was recently made aware of a very valuable source of historical data: a tale from centuries past, telling of how the Keyblade War began. The Master of Masters, the first of the Kingdom Key's chosen ones to discern how to call forth other Keyblades in its image, had seven apprentices. To one of them, an enigmatic, shy and soft-spoken young man named Luxu, he entrusted his first 'created' Keyblade, the very Keyblade that Master Xehanort now wields."

"Master Xehanort has one of the oldest Keyblades?" Riku asked.

"Indeed, passed on through a chain of masters & apprentices. But he also entrusted something else to Luxu: a box, black with a silver-lined red emblem atop it, around the size of a suitcase. Only the Master of Masters and Luxu know what lies within that box. But it is likely what Maleficent seeks. Doubtless she has no idea what is inside the box, but assumes that whatever it is, it must be powerful or valuable, if the Master of Masters treated it with such secrecy and importance."

"And she's probably right" Sora said. "Okay, so on top of everything else, we've gotta keep an eye out for this big black box. So, what's our next move?"

"Ventus, Riku, I have another task for you; it shouldn't be too difficult. Meanwhile, you three should stop by Twilight Town; I feel that there may be developments there soon…" he smiled "And, you should stop by and check on your friends, just to say hello."

"Got it! C'mon, guys – let's go check on Hayner, Pence, & Olette!"

**-****_CHAPTER END_****-**

Next Time: Twilight Town


	3. Sunset Search for Answers

**SEE CHAPTER ONE FOR (MOST) DISCLAIMERS**

PLEASE READ & REVIEW, AND TEND TO THE TROPE PAGES

**-****_CHAPTER START_****-**

**Twilight Town**

As Sora, Donald, & Goofy entered the plaza, one of the electric trams whizzed by.

"Oh, cool!" Sora said excitedly. "The trams are still here!"

"Sora, it hasn't been _that_ long…" Donald replied.

"Kinda feels like it…"

"Maybe you're feeling what Roxas feels 'cause he misses home" Goofy suggested.

"…Actually, I ran into Roxas in the Sleeping Worlds. It was like… seeing into his Heart for the first time."

"And he was in the datascape, too" Donald replied, bringing up a "minor" adventure that took place not long before the Dimensional Defense Force entered the scene.

"Uh-huh" Goofy nodded. "It was a test to see if your data version was ready to face the hurt that ya carry inside."

"_Was_ I ready?" Sora asked. "I do know 'hurt'… When I lost Riku and Kairi, and later when I lost the Keyblade, and you guys had to go on without me like that… Having no-one to turn to was the worst kind of hurt. But that just shows how much you mean to me. Carrying around a little hurt can't be all that bad. Hurting is part of caring."

Donald and Goofy turned to each other. "He sounds like Data-Sora did" the mage remarked.

"Of course" Goofy replied. "Any Sora is still Sora."

"So, wait…" Sora spoke up. "If Roxas feels something, then we're in the right place. I'm gonna find him!"

…

'Do you seek our liege?'

Suddenly, several whirling white portals heralded the arrival of a pack of Dusks. Sora, Donald, & Goofy drew their weapons, but the foot-soldier Nobodies did not attack.

'…We serve Lord Roxas still.'

Confused and curious, Sora slowly lowered his weapon. …And then, he and the Dusks simultaneously reacted to a sudden powerful dark presence, turning to face the direction of it. As the Nobodies retreated through their wispy portals again, a trio of familiar faces came running out from a corner across the plaza.

"Hayner? Pence? Olette?"

(BATTLE MUSIC: _Kingdom Hearts 1.5 _– "Shrouding Dark Cloud")

And then, the heroes saw what was chasing the local trio: a massive column of black & purple Darkness spotted with dozens of glowing yellow eyes – a horde of Shadows melded into a gestalt entity called a "Demon Tower".

"Hello-Sora-goodbye-Sora!" Hayner spat out as he & his friends ran past Sora, away from the gestalt-Heartless.

"Go!" Sora shouted to the trio. "We'll handle this!"

Sensing the Keyblade-wielder, the Demon Tower gathered together in front of Team Sora, rearing up over them like a huge black serpent, its component Shadows constantly wriggling around and climbing up over each other to maintain their combined form's structure. The Demon Tower's countless eyes turned red as it lunged at the heroes, trying to ram them; Goofy was shoved back when he blocked with his shield, while Donald & Sora narrowly leapt out of the way.

Sora and Donald returned fire with Fire and Blizzard blasts, killing a couple of the Demon Tower's component Shadows but doing very little to the compound being as a whole. Sora dashed in and started landing blows with his Keyblade, until the Demon Tower swung its 'body' at him, bashing him away. While Sora got back on his feet with a Cure spell, Goofy came in with a 'Goofy Tornado', using the edge of his shield to repeatedly slash & bash at the gestalt monster. Donald blasted the Demon Tower with a few Thundara strikes, and then a recovered Sora threw his Keyblade in a Strike Raid.

Having lost more Shadows, the Demon Tower reared up and then crashed down at the hero trio, scattering into a swarm of Shadows that tried to pick them apart from all directions. In response, Sora was enveloped in a golden flash as he assumed his Master Form, the transformation flinging Shadows away. He then used his twin Keyblades to start slashing and blasting through Shadows at a prodigious rate, culling their numbers quickly. Finally, the remaining Shadows reformed into the Demon Tower, now in much poorer shape. After looming over them for a few seconds, the Demon Tower then sank into the ground, retreating through a shadowy portal, giving up the fight for now.

(MUSIC END)

"Thanks for the save, Sora" Hayner said as he, Pence, & Olette came over.

"Man, it feels like it's been _ages_ since I saw you guys!" Sora said.

"So," Pence spoke up, "does this mean that weird stuff's going down again?"

"You kidding, Pence?" Hayner replied. "When have we ever seen a tornado of shadowy blobs before? It's not 'weird'; this is underprecedented!"

"There's no 'der'…" Olette muttered.

"Hm, I guess it is" Pence brought a hand to his chin. "The creates from the last time were bright white. These things must be new. Man, I can't wait to get to sleuthin'."

"Actually," Sora replied, "the white things – the Nobodies – were new for us, too, when we first encountered them here in Twilight Town. But the black creatures, the Heartless? I'd already been fighting them for a long time when I first met you three. They're the O.G. bad guys, and the Nobodies were the newcomers."

"Whatever's going on," Olette said, "you wouldn't be here unless you had a good reason."

"Which is…?" Hayner asked.

"Well," Sora replied, "actually, we're looking for Roxas."

"Roxas?" Olette asked.

"Hmm…" Hayner pondered. "That's funny… I don't know any Roxas, but the name sounds familiar."

"Maybe we bumped into him somewhere" Pence suggested.

"Uh…" Donald looked over at Goofy. "That's _one_ way to put it…"

"Actually," Goofy spoke up, "he mighta been friends with another version of ya."

He pulled out a picture from the Digital Twilight Town, of the local trio and Roxas posing in front of the old abandoned mansion.

"This photograph…" Olette murmured.

"We've got the same one" Pence said.

He pulled out another picture – identical except for the lack of Roxas.

"Oh, yeah!" Hayner looked up. "The other Twilight Town!"

"It's like one of those 'spot the differences' puzzles… except really easy. I guess in that town, we're friends with this 'Roxas' person."

"…Sora. Let us help you track Roxas down."

"Really?" Sora grinned.

"Sure. He seems like a pretty cool guy."

"Yeah. He is."

"Great" Pence replied. "Then let's all go ask around town. If alternate-us knew Roxas, then maybe alternate-other-folks did, too."

"Sora," Olette said, "you three should go to the place in the photo. It's the old mansion. The three of us'll cover places in town."

**-****_Scene Break_****-**

Reaching the small forest just outside town on the way to the old mansion, Team Sora found something odd: a trail of various fruits winding along the forest floor, toward a tree. And climbing the tree was a pack of Powerwilds, clawing up towards…

"Look!" Goofy pointed out. "On that branch! The Heartless have him surrounded!"

Indeed, what looked like a rat with bluish-grey fur (_Rattus disneyus_) was cornered by the Heartless, quivering in fear. As Sora summoned his Keyblade, the Powerwilds sensed it and jumped down, moving in to surround the hero trio. One of them lunged at them, but Donald zapped it with Thundara.

"Careful with your Fire magic here!" he told Sora. "We don't want to start a wildfire!"

Goofy threw his shield so that it ricocheted amongst the trees, taking out three Powerwilds as it went. Sora destroyed another monkey Heartless with a Water spell, and then used his Keyblade to block a Powerwild's claw-swipes and a counterblow to slam it into a tree. Donald brought his staff down on one Powerwild's foot, and as it hopped around in pain, he hit it in the face with a Blizzara spell.

Several more Powerwilds leapt down from the trees above. Sora quickly fired a wave of Light-type _Sagitta Magica_ that destroyed all but one, which was smote by a Thunder blast from Donald. As two more leapt at Goofy from the sides, Donald cast an Aerora barrier around his old friend, the swirling winds shredding at the Heartless and tossing them away, letting Goofy finish them off. Sora zipped about with a few Sonic Blade strikes, cutting down a few more of them. Finally, the last two Powerwilds tried to retreat, but a Blizzaga 'shotgun' blast from Donald got them both.

With the coast clear, the rat scurried down the tree and ran over to Sora, looking up at him with gratitude.

"Well, take care" Sora waved with a smile, he and his friends turning to leave. Looking around at the fruits all much bigger than him, the rat turned and ran after them. Climbing up Sora's back, he sat atop the teen's head and grabbed a few locks of hair.

"Whoa!" Sora suddenly spun around, marching back toward the fruits against his will, bending down to pick one up.

"Lookie!" Goofy pointed out. "That little feller's parked on your head!"

"Sora, you've been hijacked!" Donald said as Sora was made to pick up another fruit.

"Okay, okay!" Sora looked up at his puppeteer. "We'll help you pick up the fruit. But could you let _me_-me do it? Please?"

Before long, they had the multiple fruits gathered in one neat little pile.

"So, what are you gonna do with all this, anyway?" Sora asked the rat.

The rat started making charades, like a chopping motion with one tiny hand.

"Waving?" Goofy asked. "Nope. Hmm… Chopping? …You're gonna cook with 'em?"

The rat nodded, smiling.

"You know how to cook?" Sora asked.

The rat grinned, giving a tiny thumbs-up.

"Well, okay… You be careful going home. Good luck with your meal!"

**-****_Scene Break_****-**

The trio reached the old abandoned mansion, cutting down a small pack of Shadow 'squatters' in the front yard. Standing before the old oak doors, looking up and around at the mansion, Sora struggled to make sense of the clues that had led him here. His gaze focused on an upstairs window, lacy white curtains blowing in the breeze… and for a moment, he felt like he was someone else…

"Whaddya think, guys?" he asked. "This place is even creepier than I remember."

"Well," Goofy replied, "they _do _say that this mansion is haunted…"

"Ohh, how come so many old mansions gotta be haunted?" Donald asked, shivering.

"Hey, guys!" Hayner called out as he, Pence, & Olette arrived on the scene.

"So, how'd it go?" Sora asked them. "Did ya get any leads?"

"Nope, 'fraid not" Pence replied. "The asking-around thing was a total bust."

"Yup" Hayner agreed. "This old mansion is our last hope."

"You guys ready?" Olette asked.

"Another Twilight Town awaits!" Pence was excited.

The sextet headed inside, making their way into the basement. Soon, they reached the old laboratory that contained the multi-screen computer terminal, and the digitizer leading to the 'other' Twilight Town. Pence hurried over to the terminal, having a seat in the chair.

"The password was… sea-salt ice cream, right?" He inputted the command, and sure enough the screen changed to the main desktop. "Okay, I'm in. Let's get that transporter working…"

However, as he keyed in commands, the screens began to flash red, the main screen full of "Error" and "Data Not Found" messages.

"Oh, man… The transporter's been protected."

"Protected from what?" Sora asked.

"Nosy people like us, I'd guess. We can't use it to get to the other Twilight Town."

"Why not!?" Hayner asked. "It worked before! We sent Sora there!"

"Well that was then, and this is now."

"And there's no other way?" Olette spoke up.

"None that I know…"

Suddenly, Sora's Gummiphone started ringing. Pulling it out, he answered it to reveal Ienzo – the 'Somebody' of Zexion, now allied to the cause of stopping Xehanort."

"_Hello, Sora. You wouldn't happen to be in front of a computer?_"

"Huh? Well, yes… but how did you know?"

"_I was tinkering with Ansem's computer here in his main lab – you know, to decrypt the Code that was left in it? And I noticed that someone had logged in from another terminal. I figured it might be you._"

"Well, _sorta_. We have some friends here in Twilight Town, and one of them is pretty computer-savvy."

"Hi, there" Pence spoke up. "I'm Pence, the one who logged in."

"_Good. As long as it's a user that we know we can trust._"

"Yup. But, I'm kinda stuck here. One of the programs is protected, so… I can't run it."

"_Which program?_"

"The transporter to the other Twilight Town!" Hayner cut in. "It's the only way to find Roxas. You gotta help us!"

"_…Another Twilight Town? And a 'transporter'?_" Ienzo pondered. "_Okay… A virtual town inside the computer, made of data._"

"A datascape!" Jiminy Cricket popped out of Sora's hood. "Fellas…"

"We've seen one" Goofy spoke up. "That's what we used once to investigate Jiminy's journal."

"_Maybe I can do something. Pence, let's get a network set up._"

For the next while, the two users worked together from both ends to get things connected.

"_Okay, sharing is finally enabled._"

"Were you able to fix it?" Sora asked, snapped out of his near-doze.

"_Now that our two computers have been successfully networked together, I can take control of the terminal there and change the privileges…_"

"And Roxas?"

"_Yes. For the virtual world to be completely realized, Ansem the Wise would've included Roxas' full data in the construction. Meaning, somewhere on your machine, there's a log of that data that_… _Well, basically, we can decipher Ansem's Code more quickly, __and__ we can analyze the virtual Twilight Town while we're at it_."

"Okay. Great! I'm not good with computers, so… do what you gotta do, Ienzo."

The young man gave a mirthful smirk. "_Glad you're following along. Don't worry, we'll handle it. Chip & Dale will be helping me out on this end. I'll call you back as soon as we know anything more._"

"Thanks!"

"_Oh, before I forget, a bit of troubling news. It's about one of the Organization's former members. You knew him as Vexen – but to us, he was Ansem's apprentice, Even. He was recompleted like the rest of us, but hadn't regained consciousness yet. Then, sometime after Lea left to meet up with you all, Even vanished. Aeleus and Dilan – the two you knew as Lexaeus and Xaldin – went out looking for him, but he's just __gone__… And I'm starting to worry._"

"You think he's on _their_ side?" Sora asked, concerned.

"_I think it's a real possibility. Even was always rather gung-ho about seeking knowledge without much regard as to what he had to do to get it… He's a devious researcher. You should be careful._"

"All right. Thanks." Sora hung up.

"Oh no!" Hayner suddenly shouted. "We got work! I totally forgot!"

"Really?" Pence called to him as he started hurrying toward the exit. "But what about all this?"

"Hey, _both_ are important. We're gonna need some cash to go to the beach. And don't forget the pretzels; gotta buy four now."

"…Ohh, I get it."

"He's thinking ahead" Olette said with a grin.

"Later, Sora!"

"See ya, Hayner!"

"Bye, Donald, Goofy!"

As Hayner and Olette left, Pence called out to them again: "And since I'm manning the computer here, you guys are in charge of earning my share!"

"No pretzel for Pence!" Hayner replied with a grin, with Olette giggling as she followed him out.

-_Break_-

Sora, Donald, & Goofy left the mansion, starting to head back toward town. However, as they left through the old black iron gates…

"So, you think you can bring Roxas back?"

Sora stopped and turned… and there, leaning against the stone wall, clad in a black cloak, smirking with folded arms, was Xehanort's Heartless. And then, from a nearby black portal, the old leader of Organization XIII appeared to stand beside his other-self.

"Ansem _and_ Xemnas?"

"Roxas should never have existed in the first place" Xemnas explained. "What you seek is impossible."

"Roxas _does_ exit" Sora retorted. "His Heart's inside _my_ Heart."

"And in the unlikely event you did manage to separate the two, where is it you think you can put _his_ Heart?"

"Well… Roxas used to live in the other Twilight Town, right? So, I'm just gonna put him back there."

"Do you even realize what you are saying?" Xehanort's Heartless stepped forward. "The other Twilight Town is just data."

"A Heart can live _anywhere_, even inside data! There are Hearts all around us!"

Goofy was pondering. "Ansem and Xemnas used to be part of the same person, right? But look. Now they exist separately just fine. If they can do it, then I don't see any reason why you and Roxas can't find a way."

"So…" Xemnas said. "The Captain of the King's Royal Guard is smarter than he appears. I suppose one wouldn't get to such a lofty position without a good head on one's shoulders…"

"In that case," XH said, "by all means."

"Nothing would please us more than Roxas' return, of course."

"You wish" Sora scowled. "He'll never answer to you again."

"Still so blind. A Nobody is what's left behind when one gives his Heart to darkness. There is only one way to bring Roxas back, which is for you to give _your_ Heart up as well. Sora… Have you finally decided to call upon the darkness?"

"Go on, then" XH smirked. "The shadows are never out of reach."

On cue, a squad of Neoshadows emerged behind Team Sora. Xemnas then gestured, and several Dusks emerged to supplement them.

"Now," the two halves of Xehanort said together, "set your Heart _free…_"

They vanished through a Corridor of Darkness, and the minions they'd summoned went on the attack. A Dusk flew around behind Sora and tried to box him in with two Neoshadows, but Sora used a trick the Links had taught him and lashed out with a Light-charged spin attack that flung the two Heartless back and killed the Nobody. Goofy blocked a Neoshadow's diving strike at Donald, letting the mage blast it with a Fira spell.

Sora blitzed across the field with a quick series of Sonic Blade strikes, destroying two Neoshadows and another Dusk. Donald charged Goofy's shield with Thunder magic, letting the Royal Knight bash & zap baddies at the same time, taking out a few more Nobodies. The remaining Dusks tried to ambush Sora while he was distracted taking out a Neoshadow, but he rolled to dodge their flying tackles and quickly cut them down. Goofy used his shield to launch Donald high into the air, and the Royal Mage rained down a wave of Fira and Blizzara blasts on his way down, taking out more Neoshadows. Finally, the last Neoshadow chose to retreat, slipping through a black puddle-like portal and fleeing the scene.

"I still can't think… of how we're gonna do this…" Sora held a hand to his chest.

"It can't be impossible" Donald replied. "I mean, those two girls from the Bureau – Alicia & Laicixa… They coexist, right?"

"…Wait a moment!" Goofy thought. "Alicia came back using one of the Organization's old empty Replica bodies as a new vessel for her Heart! So we could do the same with Roxas!"

"Yeah!" Sora grinned, but then his smile dropped. "But… Didn't she use the only one Ansem's lab had left? So, we'll have to get our hands on a _new_ empty Replica body, somehow…"

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it" Donald replied. "At least we have an idea for a method that should work."

"I don't know what Ansem & Xemnas want," Sora said, "but I think we'd better tell the others to watch out."

**-****_Break_****-**

Arriving back in town, Team Sora was hurrying through the plaza…

"Well, bless my bagpipes!" a Scottish accent called out. "It was _you_ laddies who rescued my chef!"

"It's Uncle Scrooge!" Donald pointed out an older duck wearing a blue outfit, a top hat, little glasses, and a simple brown cane, carrying a pale-pink box under one wing/arm.

"Wait…" Sora asked. "Didn't he sell ice cream in Hollow Bastion?"

"That's right" Goofy replied. "But Uncle Scrooge here's what you might call a world traveler."

The trio hurried over to the older duck. "How are ya, Uncle Scrooge?"

"Oh! Hello, Sora! You're lookin' hale & hearty. I heard ye were on another grand adventure with theses two. I hope Donald isn't making a menace of himself."

Donald slumped. "Why would you have to say that?"

"So, Uncle Scrooge," Goofy chimed in, "what's that you were sayin' about a chef?"

"Och! Right, right! The chef of me bistro here wanted to show ye his appreciation, so he baked this for ye."

He held out the box, opening it up to reveal a scrumptious fruit-topped pastry!

"Cake!" Sora grinned. "The whole thing? It's for us!?"

Suddenly, Scrooge's top-hat wiggled.

"Ay there, settle down" Scrooge told it. "The chef wants ye to know it's not a cake, but a _tarte aux fruits._"

"He does?" Goofy asked, confused.

"Ah, why keep it under my hat?" He lifted his hat, to reveal the rat that Team Sora had helped earlier.

"May I introduce ye to Remy – me top chef!"

"Oh!" Sora leaned in. "It's you!"

"Uncle Scrooge," Donald said, "you opened a bistro in Twilight Town?"

"Aye" the older duck replied. "It all started a little while ago, when I was enjoying one of the best meals of my life. And when I asked to speak with the chef, I met this wee genius. As it turns out, Remy wanted to expand his culinary horizons. So, I thought: that's an opportunity. And I financed the whole operation. Now, then, why don't you three have a seat and we'll whip up something for ye? I'll even give ye a discount on account of bein' family! A _small_ discount, mind ye…"

As Sora, Donald, & Goofy sat down to a nice meal, Hayner & Olette came over, with Hayner heading to Scrooge.

"Hey, boss" the boy said. "Done with the posters."

"Aye, good work, kids" Scrooge replied.

"You guys work for Uncle Scrooge here at the bistro?" Goofy asked.

"He gave us a short job putting up these special posters" Olette replied. She unrolled a poster, showing an old-timey movie poster. "Mr. McDuck's hosting an open-air film festival in the courtyard. Cool, huh?"

"You did all this, Uncle Scrooge?" Donald asked.

"Of course, laddie! Provide a bit of entertainment, and then give folks a nice, cozy place to relax. Like me bistro here. They'll all be happy, an' hungry, an' eager to spend their money."

Donald sighed.

"Gawrsh, he sure is canny" Goofy remarked to Sora. "I always wondered how he keeps customers comin' into his businesses over and over."

"Yeah, I'm no businessman," Sora replied, "but I sure wouldn't wanna be one of Uncle Scrooge's competitors." He turned to Hayner & Olette. "I need to warn you guys. The Heartless and the Nobodies might come back for more, so stay on your toes."

"Sure" Hayner replied. "But don't we have you guys to take care of 'em for us?"

"You have to leave _again_?" Olette asked.

"I'm afraid so. There are people out there who need our help."

"It's our job" Donald said.

"But we'll definitely be back" Goofy assured them.

"Man, when you gonna slow down?" Hayner asked.

"Sorry" Sora replied sheepishly. "Just do me a favor… I know how Roxas feels. To be lost. But Donald and Goofy… and Kairi… brought me back by wishing with all their Hearts. So… I was hoping the three of you would do the same, and pray for Roxas."

"What, that's it? That's no favor. We'll all wish! I'm wishin'."

"Me and Pence, too!"

Sora grinned. "Thanks."

…On a rooftop overlooking the bistro, two silver-haired figures stared down at the carefree gathering. Behind Ansem & Xemnas, Xigbar emerged from a portal.

"Aren't you making it a little too obvious?" he asked them.

"We were instructed to guide him" Xemnas replied.

"Yes…" Xehanort's Heartless smirked. "Just look at them. They wouldn't get far if we did not spell it out."

"Fair enough" Xigbar said. "But let's not forget how many times Sora still managed to rain on our parade."

"If he wavers from the path we lay, we kill him."

"But in that case, we'll have to find ourselves another vessel."

"That is why we never have just one iron in the fire" Xemnas said.

**-****_CHAPTER END_****-**


	4. You've Got a Friend In Me

This chapter would've been finished and updated yesterday, but the rain knocked out our power for **_11 ½ hours_**.

**SEE CHAPTER ONE FOR (MOST) DISCLAIMERS**

PLEASE READ & REVIEW, AND TEND TO THE TROPE PAGES

**-****_CHAPTER START_****-**

**Toy Box**

With a flash of light, four figures were teleported in. Joining Sora, Donald, & Goofy for this op was the Maximal hero Cheetor, the Transmetal-2 Cybertronian ready to kick some skidplate. They found themselves in a bizarre locale, surrounded by a handful of giant toys, and a 'roof' over their heads that almost looked like the underside of a bed…

"What in the world…?" Sora murmured as they headed toward the light up ahead.

Stepping out from under the gigantic bed, they found themselves in a child's room, but with everything being absolutely enormous – furniture, window, toys & odd little things. Furthermore, the heroes looked to be made of interlocking parts, like they were living action figures.

"Have we been shrunk!? And… look at us!"

"This is… gonna take some getting used to" Cheetor remarked.

"You know what magic is for" Donald replied. "We have to protect the world order!"

"Gawrsh," Goofy pointed out, "who's gonna protect the order from _them_?"

A squad of Heartless were across the room, looking like toy soldiers in scuba gear – "Toy Troopers". Sora, Donald, & Goofy summoned their weapons while Cheetor drew his blaster rifle, and the quartet charged. As they drew closer, more Heartless spawned in – Shadows, as well as glowing red bell-shaped Heartless with halo-like runes of solid magic floating behind them.

The 'Vermillion Samba' Heartless started firing flame-bolts at the heroes, who scattered and returned fire, a Blizzara blast from Donald and an explosive shot from Cheetor destroyed one of them. The Maximal then shifted into Beast Mode (in a process that looked more toy-like than normal), a technorganic big cat dashing in and starting to slash with his claws and blade-tipped tail, killing Shadows and a couple Toy Troopers. Sora dodged Toy Troopers' speargun shots and got in close, Keyblade strikes beating Heartless down and destroying a few of them. A Shadow that tried to leap at him from behind was taken out by a shield-throw from Goofy, who was in turn protected from a pair of Toy Troopers by a Thundaga from Donald.

Sora froze a Vermillion Samba with a Blizzard blast and then shattered it with a Strike Raid. Cheetor transformed again and started using his blaster to cut down the remaining Shadows, while Donald & Goofy dealt with a Toy Trooper fireteam. A "Gold Beat", a Heartless of the same type as the Vermillion Samba but golden-yellow and crackling with electrical magic, tried to attack D&G from above with its lightning whip, but Cheetor blasted it out of the air, stunning it and letting Sora finish it off.

With the last Heartless destroyed, the main trio dispelled their weapons, while Cheetor holstered his gun.

"Are they new?" a voice asked.

The quartet turned to see four living toys approaching them – a cowboy sheriff, a spaceman soldier, a piggy-bank, and a cartoonish green t-rex.

"Wait, wait!" the t-rex hurried forward. "You look familiar! I _know_ this. You're, uhh…"

"Yozora!" the piggy-bank explained.

"Huh? Who's that? My name's Sora."

Suddenly, he noticed a laser-sight on his chest from the spaceman's wrist-mounted blaster. In response, Cheetor drew his gun and pointed it back at the suspicious local, not firing yet.

"Stay back, you two" the spaceman said. "For all we know, the intruders sent them."

"Slow down there, Rex" the sheriff said, approaching the travelers. "We don't know them."

"Yeah," the piggy-bank said, "if they're who I think they are, Andy's mom musta bought 'em for him."

"Hamm's right!" Rex said. "Did you see how easily they took care of the intruders? I bet they're here to figure out why all our friends have gone missing, and why Buzz's laser started actually laser-ing, and all the other weird stuff that's been going on. I mean, that's what heroes do, right?"

"Let's not jump to conclusions" Buzz said, still cautious.

The cowboy pondered for a moment. "So, you're… Andy's new toys?"

"Toys?" the quartet said in unison.

"You sure did a number on those intruders."

"Those are the Heartless" Goofy said.

"The bad guys!" Donald added.

"We've been fighting those 'intruders' for quite a while" Sora said.

"I knew it!" Rex exclaimed.

"Hmm… Okay!" the sheriff said (to Buzz's surprise). "In that case, you're alright by me. My name's Woody."

"Now hold on" Buzz said as Sora & Woody shook hands.

"So, like I said, my name's Sora."

"And I'm Donald!"

"I'm Goofy; pleasure to meet ya."

"And I'm Cheetor. I'm actually part of a different 'hero team' than these guys, but since my group and their group are friends, I'm helping them out for this op."

"And I'm… Buzz Lightyear" the spaceman reluctantly introduced himself, trying to be civil.

"Call me Hamm" the piggybank said. "It's a real honor."

"And I'm Rex!" the excitable dino said with a grin. "And I'm your biggest fan! I've been playing your game for months! I've gotten you up to LV47, but that Bahamut boss is really tough. Slinky & I can't figure out how to beat him! Oh, I wish Slinky and the others were here. They'd be so happy to meet you!"

Sora sighed. "Rex, we're not… Y'know what, never mind."

"He'll get it eventually" Woody remarked.

Just then, a squad of little green army-men waddle-marched onto the scene in formation. "All troops at attention, sir!" the leader saluted Sora.

Then, a trio of little green men with three eyes rode in on a skateboard, almost running Donald over.

"Strangerrrrs…" one of them said as they gathered around the duck.

"From the outsiiiide…"

"Welllcooome…!"

"They're all toys?" Sora said to himself. "So that's why we look the way we do."

"Excuse me" Buzz came over to Sora. "You said that you've battled those intruders before. Tell us where and why."

"Um…" Sora tried to figure out how to protect the "World Order" and still explain. "Some of the details are… classified, but let's just say the Heartless are creatures of darkness that pop up all over the place, and we hunt them down and root them out. And people who wield Keyblades, like me, are big targets for them because they fear the Keyblade's power. We can't risk telling you more yet, sorry."

"You must have come from _somewhere…_"

"Take it easy, Buzz" Woody said. "What matters is that they got those 'Heartless' out of our way – for at least a little while. No need to interrogate 'em."

"Yeah, Buzz!" "Woody's right"

"Noted" Buzz sighed. "But still…"

"Hey…" Sora spoke up. "Have the Heartless been a problem around here for long?"

"No," Woody replied, "they just showed up a little while ago."

"In fact," Buzz added, "the Heartless materialized… right after all our friends up & vanished."

"Oof" Cheetor winced. "_That_ doesn't bode well."

"You don't think…" Donald started.

"Well, gee," Goofy replied, "it can't be just a coincidence."

Woody turned to look at the open window. "It wasn't always this lonely. One day we woke up, and we were the only toys left here. Nobody's heard from Mom, Molly, or Andy…" He took a seat on a letter-block, lifting his foot up to look at Andy's name written on the bottom of his boot. "We keep waiting for Andy to come home."

"You really care about him" Sora said.

Woody gave a sad smile, coming back over to the others. "Yeah. He's the best friend that toys like us could ever hope to have."

Grinning, Sora clapped his hands. "All right! We'd better start looking! Have you got any clues we can go on – any other strange things that happened?"

"Well… Hmm… There is _one_ thing."

"One _big_ thing" Hamm said.

"Huge, sir" the army-man sergeant added.

"What thing?" Rex asked cluelessly.

"After everyone went M.I.A.," Buzz explained, "the intruders didn't come alone. They arrived with a guy wearing a hood, dressed in black, just like you. As a matter of fact, he's the only other toy we've seen, outside of you four."

"A black hood?" Sora gasped. "But that would mean…"

"The Organization!" Goofy & Donald said together.

"You know who it is?" Woody asked.

"Yeah" Sora nodded. "The 'Seekers of Darkness'. They're _seriously_ bad news. They've taken control of the Heartless, along with other dark creatures, and are using them for their own ends. They're all crazy-strong, and they're devious."

"They've been around for a little while" Cheetor explained. "Their first incarnation, "Organization 13", was almost-totally wiped out, thanks in part to a few of them becoming good guys. But their leader is back, and he's built the group back up with new membership."

"Though he isn't the leader no more" Goofy added. "Turns out he was followin' the _real_ Big Bad's plans, and now that other guy is back in the picture and at the head of things."

"Seems like you guys have some dangerous enemies" Buzz remarked.

"We may have a hunch what's causing all this weirdness. Since we've fought the Organization before, would you mind if we handle this?"

"I'm sorry," Woody replied, "but we're not just gonna leave this to you. If that guy & his cohorts have something to do with our friends vanishing, then he's _our_ problem, too. We've got to work together."

Sora smiled. "Right!" he nodded, shaking Woody's hand. "So then, where can we find this guy?"

Woody turned to the army-men. "Sarge, any word from the recon team?"

"The latest reports place him in town, sir," the sergeant replied, "at Galaxy Toys!"

"Then Galaxy Toys is where we're going. Sora, follow me. It's out the window and down the roof."

"Not so fast, cowboy" Buzz spoke up. "You seem pretty gung-ho about going, but shouldn't we stay here and wait for Andy?"

"Well… You've got a point, but… we've _tried_ waiting. Look, if we go with Sora's team, we might find a clue. Are you with me, Buzz?"

After a moment's thought, Buzz gave a little grin. "Of course. Okay, let's move out!"

Using the furniture to climb, the gang made it up to the open window and jumped through, landing on the garage roof. Sliding down the roof and landing down in the driveway, they were beset by a squad of Toy Troopers led by a pair of Large Bodies. Buzz and Cheetor opened fire, blaster bolts cutting a few Toy Troopers down, while Goofy and Woody got a Large Body's attention, dodging its swinging fists and leaving it open for Sora to slash apart from behind. The other Large Body was encased in ice from Donald's Blizzaga spell, and Cheetor then shattered the Heartless' frozen face with a thruster-enhanced kick.

Woody lassoed a Toy Trooper and then swung the hapless Heartless around like a flail, smashing a couple of its fellows. Sora blasted more of them with Fira blasts while Goofy shielded him from speargun shots, and Buzz flanked the distracted Heartless and gunned them down. A couple of Vermillion Sambas spawned in and started shooting, but a few Watera spells from Sora quenched their flames and destroyed them.

"Are they gonna give us trouble the whole way there?" Sora wondered aloud.

**-****_SCENE BREAK_****-**

"Yep, they did…" the young hero muttered.

"Whoa…" Cheeter looked around at the enormous, colorful giant toystore as they walked in the front doors. "This place is ultra gear…"

"Hey," Sora pointed to a huge red battle-mech atop a display case, "why doesn't _that_ toy move?"

"I guess it hasn't figured it out" Woody replied.

"Figured what out?"

"I can make it move for you…"

Everyone looked up at where the new voice was coming from: a swirling black portal atop the globe-shaped thing in the center, through which stepped a black-robed figure. The figure lowered his hood, revealing a youthful face with golden-yellow eyes and silvery-white hair, gazing dispassionately down at the heroes.

"Young Xehanort!" Sora drew his Keyblade.

"It's been a while, Sora" Young Xehanort said. "I'm honored you remember me."

He snapped his gloved fingers, and a small team of Toy Troopers spawned in. Leaping down, they clambered atop the Gigas Mech toys, opening the head-hatches and hopping inside. The Heartless-controlled mech leapt down, forming a huge fist and striking at Hamm. Sora, Donald, & Goofy rushed in and caught the blow, letting Woody tackle Hamm out of the way.

"One Heart's shadows fill the emptiness of another" Young Xehanort said. "See how they bring him to life? Like Heartless and Nobodies, they fit together."

"Enough" Sora growled. "Why are you doing this?!"

"There's a darkness we are missing and must reclaim. The way Hearts connect in this world can provide us with a clue. So we made a copy of the world, and then pulled those Hearts apart. I wonder how you'll handle the strain…"

He then vanished through a Dark Corridor, just as the Gigas sent Team Sora flying.

"Woody!" Buzz shouted. "What is going on? Is this toy a friend or foe?"

"I think we've got our answer" the sheriff replied as the Gigas Mech pointed its cannon at them. The mech started rapid-firing energy blasts, forcing everyone to scatter and run for cover, Cheetor returning fire to force the mech to shield its faceplate and give the heroes a moment to get to safety.

"Sora, you're up!" Donald shouted.

"Yeah," Goofy added, "if the Heartless know how to do it, there's no reason you can't."

"Do what?" the youth asked.

In response, Donald & Goofy pointed to another Gigas Mech on display, cockpit open and ready. Grinning, Sora took off running for the mech, with Cheetor & Buzz providing cover-fire. Leaping high, he landed in the cockpit and closed up, the mech coming online.

Sora's Gigas Mech leapt down to the main showroom floor just as two more Heartless-controlled mechs joined the first one. The allied mech's right arm turned out to be a rapid-fire cannon that Sora started putting to use, chipping away at the nearest enemy mech's armor. He used the mech's thruster pack to dodge a lunging punch from the hostile, and leapt back while firing a barrage of high-explosive energy orbs that battered the Heartless mech around. One final wave of rapid-fire shots up-close to the faceplate, and he killed the Heartless inside.

Meanwhile, Donald blasted the second Gigas Mech with Thundaga, short-circuiting it enough to let Cheetor clamber up its body and start blasting the front hatch until he'd broken through. The Maximal then tossed the Toy Trooper out, letting Goofy crush its head with his shield. Woody and Buzz were struggling against the third one, but then Sora's Gigas charged in, blasting and hammering at the hostile's cockpit. Soon, the enemy Gigas went inert, its cockpit opening up to reveal a Toy Trooper feebly collapsing and disintegrating.

"So it was being controlled?" Buzz asked. "It wasn't just switched into battle mode by accident?"

"I'm confused" Woody said. "That guy in the black coat… Did he say he made a copy of the real world? What's that mean?"

Sora pondered. "It… probably means they split this world into two – your friends in one world, us in the other. Only one of the worlds is real, and the other is just really convincing."

"You can't be serious" Buzz said, scowling. "Oh! That's right, you're from a videogame. Well, maybe in your game, that's how things work… but here in reality, you can't 'split worlds'. This is ridiculous." He walked away, ignoring Sora's attempts to catch him. "Woody, let's go."

"…I admit" Woody said. "It does sound just a little far-fetched. But… say we _have_ been taken to some kind of alternate world. That would explain why your laser's real. And is it really that crazy? Worse than 'evil emperors' and 'protecting the galaxy'? Any of that ring a bell?"

Buzz cleared his throat, trying to hide a light blush. "Point taken. But that just means these strangers are part of the delusion. And I say it's time we parted ways and went home."

"I thought we were friends," Goofy said, "not strangers…"

"Look," Sora replied, "I get that it seems weird, but we know something's wrong with this place. We should stick together."

"Sora's right" Woody said. "They helped with the intruders, so they might help find our friends. They have been there for us so far. You can't deny that. Come on, Buzz. Every toy deserves a fair shake."

"Tell it that toy over there" Buzz pointed to the empty Gigas Mech.

As Woody wondered what to do, what to say…

"Sheriff, sir!" Sarge called up from atop a nearby shelf. "Rex has just been dino-napped!"

"What's that!?" Everyone gathered around.

"My men saw him get hauled up to the second floor, sir! And Hamm & the Aliens are MIA."

"Come on, gang; we've got to find them!"

"Please, let us help!" Sora pleaded.

"Well, Buzz?" Woody ran up to his old partner. "Do you really think we can save our friends on our own? We didn't get very far before. We gotta take all the help we can get."

"Don't worry" Goofy said. "Sora can be reckless, and Donald grumbles a lot, but you can trust 'em!"

"Hey!" Donald shouted. "He suspects _you_, too!"

"I'll admit," Cheetor spoke up, "I used to be a hotheaded showoff. But stuff happened to me that forced me to grow up, in more ways than one. You can count on me to help however I can."

"See?" Woody said. "They don't seem bad. Am I right, Buzz?"

"…Okay, fine. We do need the extra help. But just so we're clear: I remain skeptical about this." He turned to Team Sora. "I'll work with you till we find our friends."

"Ohh…kay" Sora muttered as Buzz marched off.

"Thanks for the help, you guys" Woody said to them.

They headed over to the huge central globe-thing, which had three different brightly-colored tracks running up from it to the higher floors.

"This ascent is gonna be rather tricky…" Buzz remarked, deploying his wings.

"Too bad we're not strapped to a rocket, huh?" Woody replied.

"How about we use those rails?" Sora suggested.

"Perfect! Come on, fellas!"

Climbing up through the innards of the toy-dispenser machine, the gang reached a set of rails, taking one up to the second floor. They were beset by a squad of Toy Troopers with Gold Beat support as soon as they landed, and Buzz & Cheetor started shooting down the flying electric Heartless while Team Sora and Woody handled the ground-pounders. Woody ducked under a speargun shot and floored a Toy Trooper with a roundhouse kick, and Donald blasted the stunned Heartless with a Firaga shot to finish it off. Sora threw his Keyblade in a series of Strike Raids, cutting down a few more, while Goofy intercepted a Toy Trooper trying to flank Buzz and bashed its head in.

With the area soon cleared, the team entered a toy-shop nearby. As they looked around at the various action figures and toy monsters on the shelves, Woody suddenly caught a glimpse of a big plastic tail disappearing behind one of the displays.

"Rex!" he took off running. He rounded the corner… and no-one was there.

"Where'd he go?"

"You sure you saw him?" Buzz asked.

"Yes, he just-"

"Shh" Sora shushed them. "Do you guys hear something?"

(BOSS MUSIC: _The Corrupted _(KH3 Version))

As the team went quiet, they heard a soft whooshing hiss. Goofy looked up at something bizarre just barely visible poking up from behind the shelf next to them, a sort of spire or spine glowing with dark-purple energy.

"Something feels wrong…" Buzz said, readying his blaster.

Suddenly, the displayed toys were flung away as a massive figure swatted them aside with its huge claw. It appeared to be an enormous, bulky dinosaur-centaur figure with broad muscled shoulders, red scales, green armored scales forming a 'Y' on its chest, a head-crest of purple-tipped spines, and a set of rockets on its back… and a Heartless emblem on its upper chest. The 'Supreme Smasher' let out a hissing roar, baring its massive fangs & claws.

"Another toy's being controlled!"

Sora summoned his Keyblade, the others readying themselves also. After a moment, Buzz readied his blaster as well.

"Buzz," Sora asked, "you sure?"

"If it wanted to play nice," the spaceman replied, "then it should've stayed away from my friends."

The beast roared, stepping forward with jerky motions, as if being moved around by a child playing. Then, two more Supreme Smashers, wreathed in darkness, emerged from the other corners of the store. Thankfully, Sora soon spotted and sprinted for an unmanned red Gigas, climbing aboard and piloting the battle robot into the fray.

The nearest Supreme Smasher's back-mounted pylons gathered energy at their tips, and the Heartless-controlled toy then breathed out a sweeping beam of energy, cutting across the Gigas before Sora could react. Thankfully, the armor held strong, and Sora returned fire, energy blasts hammering away at the monster's chest. The beast reeled, letting Sora close in and pound it with his Gigas' fists, smashing the Supreme Smasher around. Finally, he picked it up with both hands and held it for a point-blank blast from his mech's shoulder cannons, destroying the Heartless inside it.

Meanwhile, Cheetor shifted into Beast Mode and charged another of the Supreme Smashers, dashing around its clumsy attempts to crush him with its claws and landing numerous slashing blows. While it was distracted, Woody gave Goofy a boost up for a Goofy Bombardier attack that knocked the monster back a few steps, and Donald conjured a floating amplifier rune that Buzz fired his arm-blaster through, the magic enhancing the power of his shots. As the blaster bolts hit its face, the Supreme Smasher blindly fired a sweeping laser beam that Woody ducked under, almost losing his hat. Donald zapped the monster with Thundaga, destabilizing its next charging shot and making the energies course through its body instead, weakening it significantly. Goofy & Woody ran up the Supreme Smasher's body, and an axe-kick and shield-bash to the head put it down for the count.

The team narrowly dodged a laser beam from the third Supreme Smasher as it stomped toward them. Sora's Gigas dashed in, catching it with a charging shoulder-tackle, and then he got into a supersized wrestling match with the beast. Cheetor shifted his gun's mode and fired a 'small' missile, the blast hitting the Supreme Smasher's back pylons and wrecking them. Sora slammed the monster back, and then he, Donald, Buzz, & Cheetor unloaded with a barrage of shots. Hissing weakly, the big Heartless tried to counterattack, but a hammer-fist blow from the Gigas finished it off.

(MUSIC END)

As Sora dismounted from the Gigas, a _fourth_ Supreme Smasher suddenly leapt in, looming over them. However, there was a shout as Rex, riding atop a remote-control flying toy attached to a hook & string hanging from the ceiling, finally build up enough momentum to tear it free from its mount. The toy came hurtling in and slammed into the Supreme Smasher, knocking it over and also knocking out the Heartless controlling it: a little bluish-black orb of darkness with beady yellow eyes and a red jagged mouth, surrounded by a blue & yellow cog-like ring with strings attached to a little marionette hanging underneath. Rex then dropped down, landing on top of the Heartless.

"Oh, what's this!? Oh no, what did I do!?"

As Rex took off running, the angry Heartless tried to chase him, only for Sora to dash in and cut it down with a Sonic Blade.

"Nice moves, Rex" Woody said to the still-cowering dino.

"That was great!" Goofy added.

"Great? Really?" the green t-rex straightened up. "Would you say I was impressive?"

"_Very_ impressive, Rex" Buzz replied with a smile. "We couldn't look away."

"Hurray! Oh, that makes me so happy!" He turned to Donald & Goofy. "Were you watching, too? Did you see what I did?"

"Yeah, good for you" Donald tried to fend off the excitable toy.

"You swooped in just in time" Cheetor added. "Very heroic, very dramatic!"

"So Rex," Sora walked up, "do you know where the others were taken?"

"What do you mean?" Rex asked. "Did something bad happen?"

"Back to square one…" Buzz groaned.

Suddenly, the green army-man sergeant hopped his way down the shutters of the partially-closed gate.

"Sarge!" Woody called out. "Have you got a status report?"

"Sir! One of my men just located Hamm forward of our position, in the 'Babies & Toddlers' sector. The corporal was debriefing him, but something must have gone wrong. All radio contact has been lost."

"Anything more specific we can go on?" Buzz asked.

"Right before I lost contact, I heard music with some sort of sonic interference."

"Music…?"

"Ya think it could be the Heartless?" Goofy wondered.

"What if it's another big monster?" Donald said.

"Let's find out" Sora replied.

"Agreed" Woody said, as he and the team started moving on. "We'll use the air vents to get there."

"Actually," Rex spoke up, "I think I'll head back and wait by the entrance. I'm sure those vents are gonna be much too narrow for my big dinosaur tail."

"Really?" Sora said. "I'm sure you'd fit."

Buzz put a hand on his shoulder. "Rex is right. Besides, we need a lookout at the entrance. It's an important mission. Can you do it?"

"Yes, sir!" Rex replied, trying and failing to salute with his tiny arms.

The team climbed up the shelves and entered the lower vents, passing through the piping and swatting a few Shadows that tried to get in their way. After using a fan to get some elevation, they entered a long, wider passageway, and several of a new species of Heartless spawned in, clinging to the walls & ceiling: "Pole Cannons", basically living blaster turrets. The Heartless extended their pole-bodies and started shooting red blaster bolts at the heroes, who scatted to dodge. Cheetor and Buzz returned fire, blasting at the living turrets and scrapping them quickly.

Passing through a deactivated ventilation fan, they slid down a sloping vent and then took another vertical fan-lift up to a higher level. The ducts led them to "Babies & Toddlers", a place with lots of pink and pastel colors, stuffed plush toys and princess dolls.

"Where do you guys think we should start?" Woody asked.

"Sarge," Goofy asked the green army-man, "didn't you mention music?"

"Affirmative, Goofy" the tiny sergeant replied.

"Why don't we look for things that make noise?" Sora suggested.

"That's good thinking for _you_" Donald quipped.

"What's that supposed to mean!?" he started chasing Donald around Goofy.

"I think they really are good guys…" Woody said to Buzz.

"Well," Buzz replied, "you wouldn't have trusted them otherwise. And I know that your trust is a hard-earned treasure. Well… for all our sakes, let's hope you're right, cowboy. I'm willing to give 'em a chance, at least for a little while longer. Especially if it means getting Andy and our friends back."

Woody smiled. "Agreed."

The gang made their way down to the floor, and a squadron of Gold Beats and Vermillion Sambas spawned in and started blasting them with fire and thunder magic. In addition, the Heartless had possessed a few of the stuffed toys, plush limbs flailing as they charged at the heroes. Goofy blocked the nearest one, letting Sora and Woody pound it until they forced the controlling Marionette out so that Cheetor could gun it down. Buzz and Donald fired blaster bolts and Blizzard spells at the flying Heartless, starting to cull their numbers.

Several Marionettes spawned in, and most of them flew over to a display and possessed a handful of bouncy-pet toys. Sora & Donald pulled off a combination attack that unleashed a hail of rockets that took out the few exposed Marionettes and remaining flyers, and then Sora was enveloped in red energy as he took his Valor Form, a second Keyblade appearing in his off hand. He rushed in, unleashing a withering barrage of super-strength blows that beat the possessed toys around, quickly overwhelming some of the controlling Heartless. Cheetor was knocked onto his back by one Heartless, but as one of the possessed bouncy-toys tried to leap high and squash him, he brought his legs up and hit it with a rising double-kick that made it almost reach the ceiling, and Buzz blasted it on its way down to force out and destroy the Marionette inside.

After Sora used his Valor Form to mop up the remaining Heartless, he dispelled his form-change, and the gang resumed searching. They soon came across a display in the corner of numerous cartoon frogs with instruments, a little orchestra. Beside them was an old-fashioned record player.

"Is this it?" Sora asked.

He started running on the record, making it play, and the little toy frogs began to 'play' their song. Woody climbed up and helped him, and as the band played on…

"Wait" Buzz said. "Does anything sound _off_ to you?"

"I think it's the tuba" Cheetor pointed out, wincing at another sour note.

Woody kept the record going as Sora leapt off and headed over to investigate, joined by Donald & Goofy.

"Something seems to be stuck in the tuba" Goofy said, looking down inside the instrument.

Sora reached his arm in, quickly finding and yanking out the obstruction: one of the little green army-men!

"Corporal!" the sergeant hobbled over. "You all right, son?" he knelt down by his soldier.

"Y-Yes, sir" the army-man replied, a little weak.

"That's the soldier Sarge lost contact with" Buzz said. "Woody, you can stop now!"

"So," Sora looked to the corporal as the music wound down, "you found Hamm?"

"Yes. But… while I was radioing in, a giant hand grabbed me, and it stuffed me in there. They must have taken Hamm to another location. We have to hurry!"

"Wait, Corporal" Sarge spoke up as his man tried to limp onward. "You're not fit for action."

"But Sarge…"

"Your tour is over, son. And it's all right. Our trusted allies will take over." He looked up at Sora. "I will move the corporal to a safer location. Good luck, gentlemen."

As soon as Woody had caught his breath, the heroes started looking around. They noticed that a dollhouse near the window looking out into the main store hallway was rocking a little. Hurrying over, they worked together to pull it open, revealing their porcine pal.

"Talk about cabin fever" Hamm remarked as he came out. "Thanks for the save."

"You okay, Hamm?" Woody asked.

"Yeah; aside from being locked in, the accommodations were fine."

"Aww…" Donald entered the dollhouse. "What a tiny little house."

(BATTLE MUSIC: Tension Rising (KH3 Toy Box version))

Looking around, he happened to glance out the dollhouse's window… and was met by a pair of glowing golden eyes staring back at him. He came scrambling out, and their new adversary was revealed: a huge doll of a young woman, pale skin, a long, soft face with green eyes and red lipstick, and iron-straight blue hair, wearing a headband with white rabbit ears, one of which had a glowing Heartless emblem on it, along with a black Victorian-style dress with white lining, grey sleeves, and a black bow around the waist, plus black heels with frilly white socks.

"She's back!" Hamm cowered. "That's the doll that pig-penned me!"

"Hamm, take cover" Woody ordered as he and the others readied for battle.

"Uh, copy that! One stay in the dread-&-breakfast was enough for me!"

"Not _another_ possessed toy…" Buzz lamented as Hamm scrambled for cover.

The possessed doll lunged at them with a spinning tackle, knocking everyone in different directions. Sora flashed blue as he took his Wisdom Form, starting to skate around while firing magic bolts. The 'Angelic Amber' moved in much the same way, floating just above the ground, seemingly not reacting to the hits she was starting to take from Sora & his friends.

As Goofy and Buzz moved in close, the Angelic Amber spun with a kick and projected whirling force-field, blasting them back. Donald used Cura to get them back up on their feet, while Cheetor and Sora kept blasting at the possessed doll. Woody lassoed around one of her legs, but then she took off flying, and he cried out as he was brought along for the ride. Still, when she made another pass, Goofy leapt up and grabbed Woody, and their combined weight brought the Angelic Amber down, letting Sora and Donald zap her with Thundaga strikes.

Some Marionettes spawned in to assist the bigger Heartless, and Woody, Buzz, & Donald worked to swat them before they could possess any toys. Sora, Goofy, & Cheetor kept up the attack against the Angelic Amber, Sora's Wisdom-boosted Waterga blasts beating the evil doll around. The doll flew up high and then came down hard, releasing a damaging shockwave that knocked Cheetor back. The Maximal recovered and went into Beast Mode, zipping around and making dashing slash-strikes with every pass. Goofy's magic-charged shield bash from behind caught the Angelic Amber off-guard and off-balance, and Sora expended what remained of his Wisdom Form energy in a massive "Firaza" blast, the massive explosion blowing the doll back.

As the others finished off the lesser Heartless, they regrouped with Sora's group as the Angelic Amber got back up, its black aura flaring. It zipped around in flying spinning tackles and slammed down with shockwave stomps, but the heroes kept whittling away at the possessed doll's stamina. Finally, Goofy launched Sora high, and the youth formed a Rasengan and slammed it right into the Heartless emblem on the doll's bunny-ear.

(MUSIC END)

The controlling Marionette was forced out and destroyed by the attack. Now cleansed, the doll – its eyes back to normal blue-green – fell to the floor, lying limply against the wall, still and empty. As the heroes made to leave, Buzz stopped and stared.

"Wait…" he said. "What if we end up just like her? Forgetting ourselves and… attacking each other?"

"No way, Buzz" Sora replied. "That won't happen."

"No way!" Donald added.

"You guys are too strong" Goofy said.

"You can't be sure!" the spaceman said angrily. "What if I get taken over, then attack _you_?"

"Buzz, you're overthinking it" Woody interjected.

"Yeah" Sora said. "The Heartless – the darkness – can only creep in when our hearts falter. Trust me. You'll be fine if you don't lose heart."

"Well, that's good" Woody said. "Because I know you, Buzz. You'll never lose heart when it comes to your friends."

Buzz smiled. "True enough, cowboy. Sorry to have worried you all."

"No problem. Now, let's go find the others."

"Hey! Look!"

Donald suddenly called out, pointing out the window and up as a U.F.O. toy with a claw hanging from the bottom hovered past.

"A flyin' saucer!" Goofy exclaimed.

"How retro" Cheetor remarked.

"I think I know who _that_ might lead us to" Woody said. "C'mon, guys!"

"Hey Woody," Hamm walked over as the gang headed out the window, "I'd just slow you down, with all the loose change I'm carrying. I'll hang by the entrance."

"No problem" the sheriff replied. "Be safe, Hamm."

"Hey, thanks, buddy. You just take care of your old self. Now, let's follow that UFO!"

The heroes moved along the third-floor hallway, chasing the UFO into the little-kid play area. They watched as it used its claw to snatch up the little alien trio, and then started hovering away. Buzz and Cheetor started shooting at it, and a squad of Toy Troopers spawned in to protect the Heartless-controlled flying toy. As Goofy, Woody, & Cheetor started handling the small fry, Sora, Donald, & Buzz kept up the pursuit of their main target, blaster bolts and Firaga blasts chipping away at its hull. Sora ran up the side of some furniture and leapt high, slashing at the Heartless ship in midair, until it projected an electrical field around itself that shocked him and blasted him back.

As Donald healed Sora, the Heartless brought in a couple of Gigas mechs. Grinning as he saw an opportunity, Cheetor rushed at the nearest one, dodging its cannon shots and clambering up the machine's front. Holding on with his claws, he used his bladed tail to spear into the cockpit, forcing it open and letting him gun down the Toy Trooper inside. The Maximal then hopped in, turning the Gigas Mech's guns on the remaining smaller Heartless. He then started firing explosive blasts and missiles at the UFO, using his mech's thrusters to dodge laser blasts it tried to return fire with. The withering barrage soon proved too much for the Heartless flyer, the controlling dark entity being slain, leaving the flying saucer to crash to the ground and release its prisoners.

"We are baaack" the aliens chorused.

"Our ship is no more"

"Nirvana will not be reached…"

Sora turned to the nearest one. "Sorry we trashed your ride."

"Fear not" the alien replied. "We still have our new home."

"The Chamber of Andy" the trio chorused.

"They're right" Buzz said. "This isn't where we belong. We've been in this toy store long enough. It's time for us to go home to Andy's room."

"But…" Sora spoke up. "Xehanort told us that room isn't even his real room."

Buzz rounded on the boy. "Can you prove that any of that nonsense is true? And even if Andy's room _is_ fake, it doesn't mean he's not somewhere in this world with us. I'm going home to wait for him. No more debate. …You with me, Woody?"

"Hmm…" the cowboy crossed his arms. "You're right, Buzz. Now that we're all accounted for, we should meet up at the entrance and go home."

"Okay" Sora replied. "We could've used friends like you for the final showdown…"

"But Organization XIII's _our_ problem to solve" Goofy said.

"Yeah!" Donald leapt up. "I can take 'em!"

"I'm no so sure about that~" Sora replied. "Guys, can we see you off?"

"That would be great" Woody replied.

The team made their way back down to the first floor, heading back toward the entrance.

"Sarge, roll call" Woody ordered as they neared the doors.

"Yes, sir! Roll call! All toys, fall in!"

Hamm, the aliens, and the remaining army-men lined up… and it was clear that a member of the team was again missing.

"Where's Rex?" Buzz asked.

"Aw, he took off" Hamm replied. "Said he wanted to prove to you that you could trust Sora. He's up there in the videogame section."

The spaceman gave a weary sigh. "Well, here we go again…"

"This is about us?" Sora asked. "He's not safe. The Heartless are out there."

"You're right" Woody nodded. "Sora, Donald, Goofy, Cheetor… Any chance you could help us one last time?"

"Count on it" the Maximal gave a thumbs-up.

Back up the central rails they went, returning to the third floor. As they entered the game store, they saw Rex atop a display of numerous copies of _Verum Rex_, triumphantly holding up one of the cases.

"Look! Look!" he ran over, holding the game up. "I found it! See, Sora?"

Sora looked at the silver-haired, dark-clad figure lounging beside an energy sword. "Well, I never look _this_ good. The clothes kinda match…"

They walked further into the store, passing a double-sided sign advertising _Verum Rex_.

"See?" Woody said. "I told ya, Buzz. They're toys, just like the rest of us."

Buzz looked at Team Sora with a bit of wariness. "Well, I suppose…"

"Donald," Sora whispered to his friend, "I thought your magic decided how I look. Explain."

"Simple" the Royal Mage replied. "That's not you. Rex is just confused."

"Say," Goofy spoke up, "Riku would make a great action figure!"

"Must be _him_!"

"No!" Sora said. "It's me. I've got the black clothes and, uh…"

"So what?"

"All right, everyone" Buzz called out. "Now that we're back together, it's time to return to Andy's room.

"Now?" Rex said. "But can't I at least check the strategy guides? I wanna know how to beat Bahamut!"

Buzz sighed as he walked over. "Next time. Right now, we need to go home."

As the dejected dino followed the spaceman back over to the group, a black-robed figure slowly floated in.

"Oh, but you needn't rush off" Young Xehanort said.

Growled, Sora drew his Keyblade, his fellows following suit.

"I have more to observe" the dark youth continued. "I can't let you leave yet."

"You're not stopping us" Woody said. "You've caused enough trouble for one toy, pal."

The hooded man chuckled. "Toy, you say? Like those new friends of yours?"

He waved his arm, releasing a bitter blasting wind of Darkness. Sora, Donald, Goofy, & Cheetor were blown back and off their feet… and Donald's disguise magic was shattered, falling away from them like broken glass to reveal their true appearances, leaving Woody and Buzz gaping in stunned shock.

"They're… people?" Woody muttered. "Like Andy?"

"There are many worlds in existence," Young Xehanort explained, "and among those who can travel between them, there is a 'World Order', a non-interference clause decreeing that isolated world locals not informed of the greater picture be kept ignorant of the existence of other worlds and travelers. But, well… The Seekers of Darkness don't particularly care, now do we?"

Sora snarled as he got to his feet. "The order's been in place for _centuries_, to keep the peace!"

"Peace is boring. Nothing ever changes or develops during peace."

"Just like the Space Ranger handbook…" Buzz murmured, within Woody's earshot. "To avoid confusing and panicking the locals of less-advanced or isolated planets…" Then, his expression firmed, and he pointed his arm cannon right at Young Xehanort. "They may not be toys," he said, "but they've proven themselves to be honest people, trying to do the right thing… and trying to stop the likes of _you_ from causing havoc!"

"Right" Woody got ready to fight. "Just because they're not toys doesn't mean they're not friends. They're inter-world peacekeepers, like traveling sheriffs… and I don't think this town is big enough for _you_, Xehanort."

The young black-clad man pointed a palm at Woody & Buzz, only for Team Sora to get in his way.

"It's _us_ that you really want" Sora said. "Leave the others out of this."

The young man smirked. "You _would_ say that, champion of light. Very well. Let's skip to the final stage."

Suddenly, a Marionette that had snuck up behind everyone grabbed Buzz from behind. Everyone turned to look, just in time to see the Heartless phase into him. Buzz went limp for a moment, and then straightened up with glowing yellow eyes and pointed his gun right at Woody. Goofy immediately leapt in, his shield deflecting the blaster bolt just in time.

"I can't believe it…" Woody said with stunned horror. "Buzz has been taken over?"

"What have you done!?" Sora charged at Young Xehanort as Goofy tried to protect Woody. However, YX flash-stepped away to dodge the youth's swing, reappearing several meters away.

"I thought I made it clear" he said. "I am testing the strength of their bonds." He continued to speak as Sora made several lunging strikes at him, dodging and flash-stepping away from each one. "In this world, toys have Hearts. And those Hearts come from a powerful bond. So what happens when those bonds are stretched to their limit? When they are worlds apart, can cloth and plastic hold onto their Hearts?" He brought his Keyblade up to block Sora's one-handed. "All I needed was a wedge to widen the divide – someone like you to fill them with distrust and doubt. And that chasm you created can be filled with a vast darkness. Witness it for yourself…"

"Sora!" Donald called out from where he and Rex were trying to restrain the possessed Buzz.

As Sora tried to run to help, Young Xehanort suddenly grabbed him, holding him up with one arm and charging a dark blast the other.

"Not this time" he whispered maliciously, firing the blast and flinging Sora into the _Verum Rex_ display screen… and _into_ it, disappearing from view.

When Sora got back up, he found himself in a spacious industrial-looking area, with multiple Gigas mechs inactive all around.

"_They believed that you came from a videogame in this world_" Young Xehanort's voice echoed. "_So now, I thought it fitting that you watch my experiment from inside that screen. That is… if you manage to find a moment's rest…_"

The other Gigas mechs all came online, beginning to advance toward Sora's position.

"There's _got_ to be a way out…" he muttered. "Buzz, Woody, hang on!"

Sora boarded the nearby empty Gigas Mech, and charged into the fray guns blazing. Over the next several minutes, he bashed and blasted his way through hordes of enemy mechs – not very durable, but vast in number and with perfectly functional weapons of their own. A trio of glowing "prime" units soon entered the fray, taking more hits to put down, but Sora was quickly getting the hang of piloting a giant battle-mech, so they didn't last too long.

Then, a shimmering golden Gigas flew in, one hand hefting a heavy blaster cannon and the other armed with piercing claws. The Super-Gigas took flight, hovering over Sora's mech and raining fire down on him. Sora dashed to the side while returning fire, chipping away at the enemy mech's shields & armor. As the Super-Gigas landed, it unleashed a hail of high-explosive blasts from its shoulder-mounted cannons, but Sora used a thrusted-aided leap to clear the blasts and come down on his opponent fist-first, knocking it onto its back.

Sora went for another big blow, but the Super-Gigas teleported away, reappearing off to the side and opening fire. Taking a few hits, Sora maneuvered his Gigas to dodge and shoot back, the two mechs plugging away at each other. Before long, both mechs were sparking and smoking. Finally, as Sora's Gigas rushed in, it took a fatal hit from the enemy Gigas' cannons, but then Sora launched himself free of the cockpit and slammed a Rasengan into the Super-Gigas' "face". The golden mech, now minus a good chunk of its head, toppled over and exploded, parts flying everywhere.

With a flash, Sora leapt out of the screen, to the relief of Donald, Goofy, Woody, Hamm, Rex, & the aliens.

"Sora!" Donald & Goofy ran over.

"You all right?" Woody asked.

"Yeah, I'm just fine" the youth replied. "And you? …Wait. Where's Buzz?"

Everyone else looked downcast at that.

"He disappeared into a Dark Corridor" Goofy said.

"Sora," Woody walked up, "how do we get him back?"

"I… don't know. My power won't open those."

Woody sighed, slumping over in defeat.

"Sir," the army-man sergeant hobbled over, "did I hear you say 'Dark Corridor'?"

"That's right, Sarge" Woody replied wearily. "Any ideas?"

"Well, it might be a long shot, but we've sighted a shadowy vortex in the Kid Korral. We can infiltrate from a window inside Babies & Toddlers. I'll head there and get it open."

As the sergeant gave his explanation, a look of relieved joy came to Woody's face. "Sarge, you're a lifesaver!" He turned to the others. "You guys in?"

"Definitely" Sora nodded.

"Let's go rescue our spaceman and kick some skidplate!" Cheetor pumped his fist.

As the other toys wished them well and saw them off, the team hurried out of the game store and over to the play-place, carving through a pack of Shadows & Toy Troopers that tried to get in their way. Reaching the play-place, they saw a small window up high that led into a large playroom. Climbing up the wall and passing through the open window, they entered a room full of bright colors, playful shapes, building blocks, slides – everything to keep a pack of young kids occupied while their parents shopped. The main doors into the area were blocked off by a huge mess of dark-green buildings blocks with an inactive Gigas nearby.

"The entrance was _literally_ blocked?" Sora remarked.

Boarding the blue Gigas, Sora activated a button he hadn't pressed yet, channeling some magic in as well. In response, the mech's left claw opened up and projected an electro-field that enveloped the blocks, making them glow and levitate up, floating out of the way and allowing the doors to open.

"Look up there!"

Donald pointed to a vent close to the ceiling with shadowy wisps of darkness emanating from it.

"How we gonna reach _that_?" Sora wondered.

"Well, there _are_ some more blocks here…" Woody pointed out another big stack of dark-green blocks.

Suddenly, a trio of Heartless-controlled Gigas mechs warped in. Sora quickly got back in his Gigas' cockpit and started shooting at the closest, red-model Gigas. The crimson mech tried to rush in with a shoulder tackle, but Sora dodged and blasted it point-blank with explosive rounds, putting it out of the fight. Goofy and Cheetor attacked the feet of the enemy blue Gigas, destabilizing it and throwing off its attempt to shoot explosive charges at Donald & Woody. Sora then moved in and pounded it until it stopped moving.

The purple Gigas' shoulder pylons swiveled forward and blasted a laser at the heroes, but Donald's Reflega protected them all. Cheetor went Beast Mode and dashed in, the Transmetal-2 sabretooth climbing up the enemy mech, biting and slashing. The purple Gigas seemed to have weaker armor than the other two models, and the Maximal managed to do some damage before Sora came in and finished the job.

With the area clear, Sora used his Gigas' electro-claw to levitate the green blocks up, reassembling them into a sort of Tetris-like shape. Unfortunately, it wasn't tall enough to reach the vent yet.

Advancing around a corner and into a smaller section, the heroes were beset by a pack of Toy Troopers with Pole Cannon fire-support. Leaping out of the Gigas since it couldn't fit, Sora unleashed a Watera spell that took out a few of them, while Woody used his lasso and his bare fists to put down a few more. Cheetor and Donald blasted the turret Heartless, and Goofy & Sora worked together to handle the rest of the foot-soldiers.

Retrieving his Gigas mech, Sora used it to clear the plush blocks out of his way, and then activated the magic claw-field to levitate the green blocks blocking the little area's main door. They flew out through the now-opened door and assembled atop the partial structure already by the vent, still not reaching it but considerably closer than before.

Leaving the Gigas again, Sora & company entered the network of tubes, slides, and nets inside the 'play-cubes' against the far wall, ascending up the inside and fighting through a few more minor Heartless ambushes. Finding another Gigas mech inside, Sora used its jump-jets to climb to the top, finding a stack of enchantable blocks blocking the big slide entrance. He channeled magic into the blocks, and they floated out and over to the structure under the vent. They combined with the blocks already present, completing a running cactus-man figure with a little crown. The cactus-thing tipped over sideways, its arm smashing the closed vent open.

The heroes exited the jungle-gym cube-thing area and made their way to the cactus-man, climbing up the huge green construction and reaching the open vent. Inside the vent, they found a roiling black & purple gateway.

"So this is what the bad guys use to traverse between worlds, huh?" Woody asked.

"Yep" Goofy nodded. "We've seen 'em plenty of times before."

"Here goes…" Sora said.

Steeling themselves, the five heroes stepped through the Dark Corridor. They found themselves in a dark and frightening place where there was no clean boundary between ground and 'sky', everything a mass of roiling, shifting dark-blue, black, and deep-purple. Random chunks of toy floated in the air, and a pillar of dark power shot up from the center of the area. Floating in it, unresponsive…

"Buzz!" Woody ran for his friend.

"Xehanort…" Sora growled, drawing his blade on the robed figure standing in their path.

"What do you want with my friend?" Woody asked angrily.

"Look…" Young Xehanort said. "Such tremendous darkness. All because he was ripped away from the boy who cares about him most."

Wavering shadows sprang up menacingly around Woody and Sora.

"Does that mean…" the sheriff wondered, rattled. "We'll all be like Buzz… if we don't find Andy?"

"Wrong!" Sora stepped toward Xehanort. "Distance doesn't matter. Andy's part of their hearts, just like my friends are part of mine. You can't rip that apart!"

Woody gasped softly, and then lifted his boot to look at his owner's name written on the sole. He then looked ahead at Buzz, floating in blackness, with the same name on the sole of his boot.

"What?" Xehanort said. "Your friends are your power? Ah… How very true." He extended his arm, and Buzz floated higher up in the dark pillar, while the shadows encroached on the heroes. "But if the light of friendship is a form of power… the darkness of being alone is a power even _greater_. Darkness is the Heart's true nature."

Sora stepped back, visibly rattled. However, Woody placed a steadying hand on the youth's shoulder, and stepped forward with a calm and steady glare.

"Whatever you're talking about," he said to Xehanort, "I don't care. Put Buzz back the way he was, then get lost!"

"Or else what, toy?" Young Xehanort said, smirking.

"Yeah, I _am_ a toy. And a _friend_." He stepped forward, and the darkness recoiled beneath his boots. "My guess is that no one's ever loved you before. Because you know _nothing_ about hearts and love." With every step, the darkness retreated further.

Sora stepped forward beside Woody, and as they advanced together, they slowly pushed the darkness back. "There are Hearts all around us," he said, "trying to connect. Your 'loneliness' only made Woody and Buzz's connection _stronger_. That's the Heart's _true_ nature – to never, ever let go. Wherever they are, Andy and the other toys haven't let go either."

"Yeah! You can't keep us from Andy. We're going home no matter what. And taking Buzz!"

"Xehanort, you're so caught up in finding the shadows, you forgot about the light that cast them."

With that, the darkness was blown back and away, and a brilliant light burst forth around Buzz. Sora, Donald, & Goofy charged at Young Xehanort, who formed his Keyblade and struck, trying to push them back. Woody used them as a springboard to leap high, lassoing a floating block and swinging in to push Buzz free, the two of them collapsing to the ground together as Young Xehanort snarled. After a few seconds, Buzz came to.

"Woody… Wait, how did I get here?"

"Hmm, oh, I dunno! Maybe somebody switched you into 'dark and stormy' mode."

"But I don't have a… Hmph…"

Getting to his feet, Woody offered his old friend a hand, and with a smile the spaceman took it.

"Thank you, Woody."

"Good to have ya back, Buzz."

Suddenly, there was a crash as Young Xehanort flung the hero trio away, then used his Keyblade to deflect Cheetor's shots.

"So," he said, "even empty puppets can be given strong Hearts. I am going to have to remember that."

"Remember _this_" Buzz had his laser sight right on the dark youth's face. "Our hearts will _always_ be connected with Andy's. No matter what you do!"

"And that's something you'll never understand," Woody added, "because you're hollower than any toy."

"But now I know a Heart can be placed in a vessel of our choosing" Young Xehanort flared with dark power. For that, let me give you a parting gift to play with."

(BOSS MUSIC: _Kingdom Hearts III _OST is not yet available – [Vs. King of Toys])

As Young Xehanort teleported out, the darkness overhead began to clear… revealing a _massive_ shape hovering in the air. It looked like a huge purple UFO-like craft, with glowing blue ports and a folded energy cannon on the underside. The front had a glowing yellow face pattern on it, and on top of the huge Heartless was an armored helmeted head with antennae sticking up from its top.

"Jumping gyros, that thing's _huge_!" Cheetor exclaimed.

"We can take it together" Sora replied, Keyblade at the ready.

The massive "King of Toys" Heartless slowly floated over the big toy town the heroes found themselves in, a shimmering barrier of interlocking hexagons encircling its midsection. Then, it abruptly shot forward low over the ground while spinning, a devastating tackle that almost flattened the heroes right at the start of the fight. Dodging and recovering, they started firing shots at it, to little effect. Sora ran up the side of one of the battlefield's toy buildings, leaping off the top and landing on the King of Toys' upper section. He ran over and started bashing & slashing at the head, and a few hatches on the saucer-shaped Heartless' upper section opened up to release a handful of missiles that curved up and then came down at Sora, forcing him to leap off.

The King of Toys tilted on its side and flew/rolled around the perimeter of the battlefield, continuously launching missiles at the heroes. Sora, Woody, & Goofy rolled and leapt and dashed about to avoid the missiles, while Donald, Buzz, & Cheetor started trying to shoot them out of the air. After making a full revolution, the King of Toys shifted to its normal configuration, and a big cannon unfolded from its underside. A crackling orb of power charged up and fired, and the heroes took shelter behind a toy building that was blown in half by the resulting blast. The Heartless began charging another shot, but Donald zapped it with Thundaga, destabilizing the gathering energy and doing some more damage to the entity.

As the King of Toys hovered around, shooting missiles and laser blasts at the heroes, Buzz scaled a toy building and then glided down onto the top of the Heartless. He started blasting the Heartless' head, hanging on as the monster tried to shake him off. Sora joined him up top, hacking and slashing, until the King of Toys projected an electric field around itself that flung them both off of it.

As Donald used Cura on Sora & Buzz, the King of Toys floated higher in the center, several red & blue orbs floating out from it and floating in a circle around it, linked by tendrils of electrical energy. The sky darkened, and buildings & debris began floating all around it, slowly orbiting it. Lightning bolts began shooting down at the heroes, and floating debris tried to smash them. Sora began leaping his way up the debris, closing in on the enemy, and at the peak of his highest jump he fired a Ragnarok barrage, the magic bolts crashing against the Heartless' head and armored hull.

Then, the King of Toys began to spin rapidly, kicking up a deadly whirlwind full of high-velocity toy debris. It began zipping around the battlefield, the dark tornado flinging toys everywhere; Goofy was sent flying as well, but Buzz used his winds to catch the wind, glide up and save him. Donald and Sora blasted the Heartless whirlwind with Thundaga and Blizzaga shots, and eventually they did enough to force it out of its tornado attack. It then fired a high-explosive electro-ball blast bigger and stronger than before, and everyone got behind Goofy as he poured magical power into his shield and cast his strongest defensive spell, the shield seemingly tripling in size and glowing with Light power. The Knight Captain was shoved back by the force, but his shield held, weathering the storm. He was left out of breath, though, from the strain of casting such a high-level shield spell.

As the King of Toys hovered in place and opened vents to release built-up heat after so many high-level attacks in a row, Cheetor fired a missile right into the closest vent. An explosion coursed through the giant Heartless' body, flames spewing from some of its vents as it listed in the air. Donald, Buzz, & Cheetor poured fire on the stricken Heartless, racking up more damage, and Goofy gave Sora a boost up onto the saucer's top again. Charging in at its head, Sora poured magical power into his body and his Keyblade, unleashing a barrage of super-strength blows at lightning speed – Ars Arcanum.

Subjected to so much damage already, the King of Toys could not withstand Sora's final onslaught. The young hero leapt off as explosions cascaded through the monster, darkness particles leaking from holes in its hull. Finally, it crashed to the ground with an earthshaking thud, its body coming apart into wisps of darkness as an ethereal Heart floated up and away. A bright light then engulfed the battleground…

-X-

Back down on the first floor of Galaxy Toys, the whole gang walked together toward the exit.

"So, Xehanort got away again…" Goofy said.

"Yeah, he's a big chicken" Donald added.

Looking solemn, Sora bowed his head to Woody's team. "I'm sorry!" he said. "I wanted to get you back to the real world."

Woody & Buzz looked to each other, then smiled.

"It does seem that we're trapped here…" the spaceman said.

"We'll never get home…" Rex lamented.

"Yeah, stuck like pigs" Hamm added.

"Our position appears fixed" the sergeant chimed in.

"A shame we'll have to stay a little longer…" Buzz walked over to the travelers "with out new best friends."

"After all the adventures we've had," Woody joined him, "we're not quite ready to say 'So long'."

Sora laughed with relief. "Aw, you guys…"

"I'm sorry that I was being so stubborn" Buzz said to him. "Please forgive me."

Sora smiled and shook his head, then Buzz's offered hand. "Hey, you were just looking out for your friends. No biggie."

"Yeah, somebody's gotta be the sensible one," Hamm said, "especially since Woody's always getting' in trouble."

"Gawrsh, that sounds a little like Sora, don't it?" Goofy remarked.

Woody and Sora looked to each other.

"Yeah, and I'm the dependable one!" Donald added.

"Like Buzz!" Rex replied. "…Kinda."

Everyone shared a laugh at that.

"Besides," Woody continued, "if we do go back to our real world, we'll probably never see you again, right?"

"But… What about Andy?" Sora asked. "You care about him so much."

Buzz put a hand on his shoulder. "And he's still right here with us" he held a hand to his heart.

"If we follow our hearts," Woody said, "we'll find him again."

Sora couldn't help but grin. "Yeah!"

"So Sora, are you goin' after the guy in the black coat?"

"Something tells me we can't join you on that mission" Buzz said.

"And that's okay, because you've become part of our hearts." Standing with the other toys, he pointed to Sora's chest. "So let us become part of yours."

"Now, off you go, Ranger" Buzz said with a grin. "To infinity, and beyond!"

**-****_CHAPTER END_****-**

An explanation why I don't have Sora use his new form changes in this fic: those form changes are linked to different Keyblades, and I see Sora changing his Keyblade's base form like that as a gameplay-only thing, while in story canon he only ever wields the Kingdom Key (and, in this fic series, the Ultima Weapon form when tapping into major Light power).


	5. Welcome (Back) to the Jungle

**SEE CHAPTER ONE FOR (MOST) DISCLAIMERS**

PLEASE READ & REVIEW, AND TEND TO THE TROPE PAGES

**-****_CHAPTER START_****-**

With a flash of light from a teleportation spell, four people appeared groundside. Joining Sora, Donald, & Goofy was Kairi, ready to join her "friend" on his big adventure. The quartet found themselves in what seemed to be a verdant jungle, massive trees forming a shading canopy overhead.

"This place looks kinda familiar, for some reason" Sora said. "I can't quite put my finger on it…"

"Sora! Trouble!"

At Kairi's call, Sora turned to see her facing down a troop of Powerwilds, her Keyblade already drawn. He followed suit, Donald & Goofy summoning their staff & shield as well. The monkey Heartless charged, spreading out to attack from several directions. One of them made a sliding kick at Kairi, but she leapt over it and brought her Destiny's Embrace down on the Powerwild's head, concussing it and leaving it open to a swift combination of strikes that destroyed it. Sora dashed in with a Sonic Blade, cutting two more of the primate Heartless down, while a Firaga from Donald and a charging shield-bash from Goofy dealt with two more.

By chance, Sora narrowly avoided a shot from a Bouncywild hiding up on a branch. He threw his Keyblade in a Strike Raid at the sniper Heartless, but it leapt free to dodge… only to be cut down by a Strike Raid from Kairi instead. Kairi then fired a wave of Light-type _Sagitta Magica_ that battered the Powerwilds, killing two of them. Sora snatched three of the monkeys up with Zero Gravira, letting Donald zap them with Thundaga. Goofy beat another Powerwild senseless with his shield, but then he turned in surprise to see two more of the evil monkeys dropping in from the trees above. So soon after his latest blow, he wouldn't be able to bring his shield to bear in time…

From the treeline, a thrown spear shot in, impaling the nearest Powerwild and knocking it into the other one. As the two Heartless disintegrated, the spear's owner leapt down, a lean-muscled man with wild brown hair and clad in a loincloth using his weapon to cut down two more of the monkeys as they swung at him. As Kairi cut down the last Powerwild, the man straightened up and turned to the heroes with a warm smile.

"Sora!" He said. "Donald! Goofy! Long time, no see."

Recognizing an old friend, Sora grinned wide.

"Tarzan!"

**Deep Jungle**

"You've gotten bigger" Tarzan said as he came closer. "You're growing up."

"And you're speaking a whole lot better than I remember! …Uh, no offense?"

Chuckling softly, Tarzan shook the youth's hand. "None taken. Jane and the Professor have been a big help teaching me things, just as I've taught valuable things to them. But boy, we've been through a lot of crazy adventures since I last saw you. And I'm guessing you have, too?"

"You don't know the half of it."

"So, who's this?" the wild-man gestured to Kairi.

"Oh, this is Kairi!"

"Hello there" the pink-clad girl smiled and bowed.

"Kairi… One of the friends you were looking for, the last time you were here?"

"Yep" Sora nodded. "I found her _and_ Riku, though there was some… drama involved. Kairi's learned to fight since then, helped by a Keyblade Master we rescued not too long ago."

"So, what brings you to the jungle again? The Heartless acting up?"

Sora sighed. "That's part of it. Telling you about our current enemies is… kind of a long story."

"Well, why don't you folks come with me back to the camp? We can swap tales, and you can meet the Professor and Tantor, see Jane and Terk again…"

"How's Kerchak doing? He still head of the troop?"

Tarzan's smile was replaced by a solemn expression. "I'm afraid not. Not too long after you guys left last time, there was an earthquake … Kerchak saw two young gorillas trapped right where a big rockslide was coming down, so he leapt in and tossed them to safety… even though he knew that he wouldn't be able to get out in time…"

Sora looked sad. "He gave his life to protect the children of his family…"

Tarzan nodded. "I'm the chief of the tribe now. I'm doing the best I can to fill the role he left behind. It's been hard at times, but we're still going strong so far. Anyway, come on; this way."

The four followed Tarzan through the jungle, soon coming across the camp Team Sora remembered from last time, now looking a little more spacious. At the camp was Jane, a brunette young woman, along with a shorter old man, balding with white hair, clad in a yellow top and dull-orange pants, a big bushy white mustache on his face. The boyish gorilla Terk was also there, lounging around, and toward the edge of the camp, a big red elephant was relaxing. The elephant looked up at the newcomers, starting to get a bit nervous.

"Easy, Tantor" Tarzan said. "{These are Sora, Donald, & Goofy, along with a friend of theirs. Remember what I told you about them?}"

The elephant relaxed. "{Oh. The ones who helped you deal with the bloodthirsty hunter and the shadowy creatures he was using? I… _guess_ they're all right, then.}"

"{I know you're cautious, Tantor, but don't worry; they're trustworthy}."

"I say, Tarzan, you're back?" the old man called out. "Oh, and I see you've brought some newcomers! A-And, they would be…"

"Sora!" Jane said happily. "And Donald, and Goofy! Oh, I'm so glad to see you again! And you've brought a friend along, it seems?"

"I'm Kairi" the girl waved. "Pleasure to meet you."

"Same to you, dear. I'm Jane Porter, and this is my father Archimedes."

"Or Professor Porter, if you prefer" the old man added. "Jolly good to meet you in person, young Sora, after hearing from my daughter of the things you accomplished."

Terk came over, checking the gang out.

"…{Wow, Sora's gotten bigger}" she said to her friends. "{Not as scrawny anymore}."

"…Hey Donald," Sora turned to the mage, "weren't you working on a translation spell?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah!" the duck replied. "I almost forgot!"

"There's magic that can do that?" Tarzan asked.

"Yeah," Sora replied, "it may be kinda hard to believe, but-"

"Ohoh, lad," Prof. Porter chuckled, "after all the trouble we had dealing with the evil sorceress Queen La, we're a bit more open-minded regarding magic and the supernatural."

Nodding, Donald focused his magical power and then released it, startling Terk and Tantor.

"W-What was that?" the red elephant was on edge.

"It was a spell to let us understand the other's speech" Sora replied. "It's working on my end; how about yours?"

"Yep" Terk replied. "We get ya loud & clear! Boy, this woulda made some of our past troubles a bit easier to handle…"

"So…" Kairi said. "Tarzan said that he could tell us about some of the adventures you guys have had since Sora was last here, and we can tell you all about what _we've_ been up to."

"I'll go get some tea ready" Prof. Porter replied. "I suspect telling each other's tales may take a while…"

Over the next hour or so, the local group told Team Sora about some of the adventures they'd been through, threats they'd faced, and lessons they'd learned. Sora, in turn, told them about the rest of his first big adventure as well as about the others that followed, including their current enemies.

"So, these 'Seekers of Darkness'…" Jane pondered. "You think they might be up to something around here?"

Donald nodded. "We detected a powerful dark-magic energy signature somewhere here in the jungle. With the Heartless around, it's gotta be someone from the Organization."

"You sure about that?" Tantor asked. "This 'black box' the sorceresses are lookin' for… This jungle's pretty out of the way, lots of places to hide something; maybe it's hidden somewhere around here…"

"We can at least be reasonably sure it's not Joker & Infinite" Sora said. "Those two would've announced themselves and made a scene by now; they love causing chaos and panic, not skulking around unnoticed."

"We'll keep a close eye out for any signs of unusual activity," Tarzan replied, "whoever it might come from."

-_Break_-

In a cave bordering a waterfall, a huge and vicious exile perked his head up as he heard footsteps.

"Who dares intrude upon my den?" he announced.

"Such malignant darkness you have…" a female's smooth, contralto voice purred. A humanoid figure enveloped in a black hooded cloak sauntered in. "I believe we can make use of that…" she said, eyes glowing red from within her hood as she gave a fanged grin…

**-****_Scene Break_****-**

Later, the team – plus Tarzan – was patrolling a section of the jungle not far from where the elephant herds mingled. They'd encountered a couple of parties of weaker Heartless, easily dealt with, but no sign yet of which Seeker of Darkness was present on this world.

As they entered a small clearing, another pack of Powerwilds spawned in for an ambush, but this time they had a trio of Assault Riders leading them. The gang got ready for battle, and as some of the monkey Heartless rushed in, Donald made the first kill, blasting one of them with Firaga. Tarzan made ready to deal with a few Powerwilds coming close, only to have to roll out of the way of an Assault Rider's charging attack, the centaur Heartless swinging its glaive at him. He ducked under another swing and stabbed his spear into the big Heartless' side, making it roar in pain and thrash around to fling him back. Goofy caught Tarzan and steadied him, while Sora spun around the Assault Rider's spear-thrust and landed a quick combo of blows that knocked it back. He & Kairi then bombarded the monster with magic blasts until it was destroyed.

Donald cast Thundara, wounding and stunning a handful of Powerwilds, letting Kairi and Tarzan cut them down. Sora & Goofy were being taken on by both of the remaining Assault Riders, the two high-level Heartless keeping them on the defensive. Kairi fired a Prism Rain barrage at one of the Assault Riders, catching it off-guard and letting Sora & Goofy pull off a Bombardier special and a quick barrage of hits to put it down.

(MUSIC: _Kingdom Hearts 1.5 _– "Squirming Evil")

Just as the remaining Assault Rider prepared to counterattack, though, a new player entered the field. With a trumpeting roar, a massive bull elephant charged out, trampling a few Powerwilds. The Assault Rider tried to attack, but the beast gored it with his one complete tusk, killing the Heartless. As the surviving Powerwilds fled, Sora got a good look at the newcomer. The elephant was covered in battle scars, tears & holes in his ears, and his right trunk was broken. His eyes were completely red, with no sign of the caring and intelligence that Tantor's had. Turning, Sora noticed that Tarzan had an expression of dread and a hint of fear.

"Mabaya…" he breathed out.

"Not friendly, I'm guessing?" Sora asked.

"Mabaya is a rogue elephant. He's completely insane and knows nothing but hate, fury, and bloodlust. He'll try to kill anything that moves."

Goofy gulped nervously. "Ya think he won't pay no mind to us?"

"Maybe we can sneak away quiet before he realizes we're here…" Donald suggested, speaking softly.

With fate thus tempted, Mabaya turned to face the heroes, hate and rage in his all-red eyes. With a roar that almost sounded more like a bear than an elephant, the mad beast charged. The heroes scattered to dodge, and Sora fired a Blizzara shot that did virtually nothing to the rogue elephant's thick hide. Mabaya swung his trunk at Sora, and even though the youth cast Reflera to protect himself he was still sent flying. Kairi used Cure on him while a shield-throw from Goofy got the rampant rogue's attention off them, and Mabaya charged at him instead.

Tarzan swung in, pulling Goofy to safety, and Donald zapped Mabaya with a Thundaga spell. The mad brute roared as his muscles briefly seized up, flailing his limbs in a stomping tantrum that shook the earth. Sora and Kairi threw Strike Raids at the crazed elephant, knocking it to the side a little, but the beast's mind was so far gone that he barely felt pain anymore. All it did was draw his attention, the rampaging beast turning and charging at the two humans. Sora & Kairi fired Shotlock barrages, but the charging elephant powered right through them, forcing them to roll and scatter to avoid being trampled.

With thick vine in hand, Tarzan leapt onto Mabaya's back and tried using it as an impromptu bridle. The rogue elephant thrashed around, only partially going in the directions Tarzan tried to tug him, and just as Mabaya threw the human off he was hammered by a Goofy Bombardier special that knocked the beast for a loop. Next, Sora dashed in with an Ars Arcanum barrage of strikes, beating the insane pachyderm around. Finally, Kairi charged an orb of Light at the tip of her Keyblade and fired it as a concussive magic blast. The blast knocked Mabaya off his feet, and left a new crack in his previously-intact left tusk.

(MUSIC END)

Growling, the rogue elephant staggered to his feet. Then, Mabaya did something Tarzan completely didn't expect: he turned and left, stomping his way through the jungle, away from the irritating creatures that had just beat him around.

"I guess even a psychopathic rogue elephant has his limits" Sora remarked.

"It's news to me" Tarzan replied. "Last time, he only left because we sent him sliding down a cliff, meaning he physically _couldn't_ reach us and keep trying to kill us. But I guess there's just enough of a mind left in him to know when he's beat."

"We'd better get back to camp" Donald suggested.

**-****_Scene Break_****-**

The next day, Team Sora (including Kairi and Tarzan) were relaxing around camp, swapping more stories.

"I still can't believe you guys found real, living dinosaurs!" Sora said excitedly.

"Yes, it was quite a surprise for us as well" Jane replied over a cup of tea. "And the stories of some of what you and your allies have been up to… Truly fascinating!"

"Clayton had no idea just what kind of mess he could've gotten dragged into if he'd survived" Tarzan remarked.

Sora was about to respond, when suddenly Goofy threw himself into position with shield raised. There was a loud clang as a long, thin metal javelin was deflected by his shield, knocking him backward into Sora. Everyone immediately readied weapons and went on alert, looking all around.

"Of course it wouldn't be _that_ easy to get rid of the Keyblade's champion…"

A figured shrouded in the black coat of the Seekers of Darkness emerged, striding forward and lowering her hood to reveal a woman with pale skin that almost seemed to have a bare hint of blue, along with light-grey hair in a shoulder-length "business cut" and maroon eyes. What appeared to be a small tattoo of a queen chess-piece was on her left cheek. Even in a transformed human form, the DDF contingent recognized her:

"Checker Monarch…" Kairi identified, gripping her Keyblade in one hand and readying magic in the other. "Xehanort's sociopath…"

"What are _you_ doing here?" Sora took a ready stance.

"Just looking for candidates to make into powerful Heartless" the human-form unicorn replied. "And lucky me, I've already found a couple! It'll take a bit for me to pin down that insane elephant, but as for the other candidate… Well, perhaps I'll test him out on _you_…"

(BOSS MUSIC: _Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep _– "Extreme Encounters")

Checker raised her gloved hand glowing with dark magic, and a large shadow-portal formed in the air. Out of it dropped a huge figure, black and dull-purple and dark-blue, shuddering the ground as it landed. The Heartless stood like a gorilla on knuckles & feet, its hunched posture doing little to hide how huge it was, easily 12 feet tall even in this position. Bluish-black fur solidified into razor-edged spines and spikes at various parts of its body, and a black aura clung to it as its massive muscles flexed. Its monstrous black face still had some gorilla-like facial structure to it, a glowing mouth full of huge red fangs sitting beneath a pair of glowing yellow eyes and a slightly misshapen nose. As he saw the face and noticed a missing toe on one of the monster's rear feet, Tarzan paled as he realized he recognized who & what they were facing:

"Tublat…" he breathed out. "That's _Tublat's_ Heartless!"

"The dangerous exile you told us about?" Goofy replied. "The one you said you've never beat in a straight fight? Gawrsh, this ain't good…"

"I call him the 'Black Jungle Tyrant'…" Checker said with a grin, a Corridor of Darkness forming around her. "Crush them, big guy. And make it _hurt_…"

As the Seeker of Darkness warped out, the Black Jungle Tyrant roared and slammed its fists into the ground, bringing up a huge chunk of rock that it then hurled at the heroes. They scattered, and straight away Tarzan hurled a (much smaller, obviously) rock at the beast's face, getting its attention as he fell back into the jungle. The Heartless followed, being led away from the camp and from Jane & the Professor.

As Team Sora caught up, Kairi & Donald fired Firaga blasts at the Black Jungle Tyrant, the gorilla Heartless snarling and waving its arm in a wide swing in their direction, unleashing a wave of stabbing needle-hairs. Sora and Donald cast a double Reflera to weather the barrage, and Sora then flung a Strike Raid at the beast's chest. Powering through the hit, Tublat's Heartless charged at the boy with surprising speed, trying to crush him. Tarzan leapt in, slashing and stabbing with his spear, and then jumped back to avoid the retaliatory strike thrown his way.

Sora was enveloped in a red flash as Goofy's lent power let him assume his dual-bladed Valor Form. Seconds later, a blue light briefly engulfed Kairi as Donald's donation allowed her to assume Wisdom form, her pink & black outfit now bearing blue portions as her feet floated just above the ground on sparkly blue magic. Kairi floated to the side to avoid a swing of the gorilla Heartless' mighty fist, using her Keyblade to fire a continuous rapid-fire barrage of little blue mana bolts. The Black Jungle Tyrant brought an arm up to shield its face, and Sora took the opportunity to dash in and land a flurry of punishing blows. The massive beast roared and pounded its fists down, creating a shockwave that tore up the ground it and flung Sora back.

Tarzan and Goofy rushed in, the latter providing defense for the former as he lashed out with rapid thrusts & swings of his spear. Tublat's Heartless roared and swung its massive arms to beat them back, and then ducked under a Blizzaga shot fired by Donald. Picking up a boulder, the gorilla-beast hurled it at the duck mage, who squawked and threw himself to the side. Wisdom-Form Kairi skated around, firing a couple of boosted Waterga spells that drenched the Black Jungle Tyrant and shoved it back a little. Snarling, the beast threw out another wave of needle-hairs at the girl, who cased Reflega to protect herself. The Heartless then raised one of its arms to block a leaping strike from Valor-Form Sora's Keyblades, the armor-like spiked fur on its forearm withstanding the two weapons' bite. Sora then used the brute's arm as a platform to leap up and land a few blows on its face before being swatted away.

Kairi and Donald bombarded Tublat's Heartless with Fira blasts, wounding it a bit more and giving Sora and Tarzan a chance to close in and deal some more damage. The beast tried to chomp its huge fangs down on Tarzan, only for a shield-throw from Goofy to smack it in the side of the head, giving Tarzan the instant needed to get distance. Sora threw his Keyblades in a double Strike Raid, and then Kairi fired an extra-large Prism Rain barrage at the big Heartless.

Weathering the storm, the Black Jungle Tyrant then roared loud and long, releasing shockwaves that cracked the earth and made the trees sway. It grabbed a nearby fallen log and wielded it as a huge club, swinging the dead wood and sending Goofy flying. As Kairi used Curaga to get Goofy back on his feet, Donald fired a Firaga shot meant to blow the log-club to bits. Instead, it just set it ablaze, and now he & Sora had to dodge swings from a _flaming_ tree-club.

"Why not just hand him a _laser cannon_, Donald?!" Sora snarked.

"Sorry!" the duck replied. "I can fix this!"

Casting an Aeroga barrier, Donald then flung the magic forward as a wave of slicing wind blades. They didn't do much damage to the big Heartless, but they cut its new weapon into harmless little chunks (which Kairi quickly doused with a Water spell before they could start a wildfire). Tarzan and Kairi moved in closer, the latter imbuing the former's spearhead with elemental magic for a little extra kick. As her mana bolts and his spearing thrusts peppered the Black Jungle Tyrant's hide, the beast tried to swat him away, but they were both too agile for it to hit.

Donald charged Goofy's shield with Blizzard magic, and Goofy threw the weapon at the gorilla Heartless, the resulting shock stunning it as icy-cold energy coursed over its body for a moment. Sora swung his Keyblades to release twin slicing waves of raw magical force in an 'X', crashing into the monster's chest. Kairi cast a powerful Thundaza spell, a mighty thunderbolt crashing down on Tublat's Heartless and leaving it reeling. Finally, as Sora & Tarzan both leapt high, Sora tossed one of his Keyblades to Tarzan, knowing that the wild-man would have a few seconds before the weapon teleported itself back to its owner. Using that moment, Tarzan cried out and swung with all his might.

(MUSIC END)

There was a slicing flash of light as Tarzan struck true. As he landed, the Keyblade teleporting itself back to Sora, the Black Jungle Tyrant let out a growling groan, staggering. Then, slowly, it toppled over and hit the ground with a thud that shook the trees. Its massive body came apart into particles of Darkness, and a shadow-wreathed Heart floated up and away, soon vanishing. The heroes caught their breath, Sora & Kairi dispelling their Drive Forms.

"That was _wild_" Sora said. "You weren't kidding when you said Tublat was a tough fight. Even five-on-one, that wasn't easy."

"At least he's outta the picture now" Kairi said.

"I'm not so sure about that" Tarzan replied. "From what you guys told me… Tublat had a pretty strong sense of self, so if he became a Heartless, odds are there'll be a Nobody of him, too."

"We'll have to keep an eye out for that" Goofy said. "I wonder if his Nobody will retain his intelligence…"

"Let's hope not" Donald replied. "That'd make him even harder to deal with."

"We should get back to camp," Tarzan told them, "let Jane & the Professor know we're alright."

**-****_Scene Break_****-**

"I can't believe they managed to make Tublat into a Heartless…" Terk remarked. "If they can conquer somebody as strong as _that_, what _can't_ they do?"

"We'll stop them" Sora replied. "Xehanort and Ganondorf _must_ be stopped, so they _will_ be stopped. We & our friends have pulled miracles out of our hats before, we'll find a way again."

"Here's hoping" Tantor said.

"You're sure you can stay around for much longer?" Jane asked.

"I'm afraid so" Kairi replied. "There are other people out there who need our help, other places where the Organization will be causing trouble. We have to be there for them."

"Well," Tarzan said, "you're always welcome to visit us again. And let us know if there's anything we can do to help."

"Thanks" Sora grinned and nodded. "We will. Good luck with whatever comes your way, Tarzan."

The wild-man smiled and shook the youth's hand. "Same to you, Sora."

**-****_CHAPTER END_****-**


	6. Return of the Crystal Empire

**SEE CHAPTER ONE FOR (MOST) DISCLAIMERS**

PLEASE READ & REVIEW, AND TEND TO THE TROPE PAGES

**-****_CHAPTER START_****-**

**Realm EQ-G4**

**Canterlot Castle**

Two trios of heroes walked together down the halls of the castle, toward the throne-room.

"Any idea why Master Yen-Sid's forecasting magic would guide us here?" Sora asked their allies for this op.

"Not really" Sonic replied as Tails & Knuckles trailed behind him, admiring the scenery. "Things look really peaceful around here."

The sextet were permitted into the throne-room, spotting Princess Celestia seated. The white alicorn smiled as she recognized the heroes.

"What brings you all here today?"

"Honestly, ma'am, we don't rightly know" Goofy replied. "Master Yen-Sid foresaw that we'd all be needed here for somethin'. But to me it looks like everything's a-ok around here."

Princess Celestia pondered, looking slightly concerned. "Perhaps it concerns a threat or problem that hasn't appeared _yet_, but will very soon…"

As if on cue, at that moment a Royal Guard Lieutenant burst into the throne-room. "Your Majesty!" he cried. "I bring urgent news from the far north! The Crystal Empire has returned!"

Celestia displayed an expression of shock, and then she was all-business. She quickly penned a note and sent it via dragon-flame to Spike, instructing Twilight to gather the other Element-bearers and teleport straight here.

"What's the Crystal Empire?" Knuckles asked. "And why is it something worrisome? Is it an enemy?"

"The Empire itself is not our enemy," Celestia replied, "but if it has returned, then so too has the threat that sought to conquer it…"

Within a couple minutes, Twilight teleported in herself, Spike, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Rarity, & Pinkie Pie. Since awakening to the mantle of the new Alicorn of Magic, her already-massive mana reserves had grown even more, but more importantly her fine control over her magic was steadily improving.

"What's going on, Princess?" she asked. "And… Sora? And Sonic? You guys are here, too?"

"All of you, please, have a seat and pay close attention" Celestia commanded. "…Over 1,000 years ago, there was a prosperous and harmonious kingdom far to the north: the Crystal Empire. In the midst of the freezing snowfields, they were kept warm and safe, from the elements and from dark forces, by a powerful artifact called the Crystal Heart.

"But among the royal family was a unicorn stallion with an unquenchable lust for power and a natural skill at dark magic. Duke Sombra murdered the King & Queen and took over, becoming a tyrant king who enslaved the crystal ponies. Luna & I fought hard to stop him and free our ally from his control, but when we finally managed to destabilize his body, reducing him to a shadowy wraith and sealing him in the ice, his last act was to engulf the Crystal Empire and all its ponies in a massively powerful time spell, throwing them forward in time.

"The empire and the crystal ponies vanished without a trace… until now. They have re-emerged, over a millennium after they were cast forward in time. And unfortunately, their return means that the seal on Sombra has weakened enough that he is now free. Twilight, you and your friends must venture to the Crystal Empire as quickly as possible, find the Crystal Heart, and activate its power to push Sombra at back." She turned to the two 'foreigner' teams. "Would the six of you be willing to assist?"

"Of course" Sonic replied.

"Whatever Sombra might try to do," Sora added, "we won't let him win."

"Excellent. I will also be sending Princess Cadence and Captain Shining Armor to the Crystal Empire to help marshal its defense; they will arrive before the lot of you do, and do what they can to prepare for your arrival. Please ready what you feel you will need; we must make haste if we are to stop Sombra from reestablishing his iron-hoofed rule over the crystal ponies…"

**-****_Scene Break_****-**

The next day, the sizable group of heroes were being flown as close as they safely could be by a pair of DDF dropships. Inside, Sora was huddled near one of the heater vents.

"Aw, come on" Donald told him. "Is it really bothering you that much? I've been in colder places than this."

"You guys've got fur or feathers keeping you warm" the youth replied. "Besides, I was born & raised on a tropical island, remember? I'd never even seen snow up-close until we visited Mulan's world!"

"I got a feelin' things are gonna heat up, right quick" Applejack said.

"_We can't get you guys any closer_" the pilot radioed. "_The shadowy clouds in the area look unnatural, and I'd rather not try flying my bird through them, plus this blizzard's making it a bit riskier. Pardon the pun, but you folks are gonna have to hoof it the rest of the way. Should only be a handful of klicks to… Contacts! Darklings attacking a scouting party!_"

"_Lighting them up!_" the other dropship's pilot chimed in, his Pelican's chin-gun being turned against some of the shadowy creatures. "_Ground teams, get set to come out swinging!_"

The two dropships swung around and opened their troop bays, letting Team Sora, Team Sonic, and the Element-Bearers (plus Spike) jump out. A squad of Royal Guardsponies, led by Shining Armor, were slashing and blasting at a horde of red-eyed shadowy figures that almost looked to be made of solid smoke; physical attacks weren't doing much, but blasts of magic from Shining and the unicorn guardsmen seemed to have more of an effect.

Donald cast Thundaga, zapping four of the shadowy entities, stunning them for shots from Twilight and Shining to vanquish. Sonic rushed in and started striking with lightning-speed; his physical attacks weren't doing much real damage, but they were keeping some of the smoke-creatures too busy reforming to attack him or the others. Rainbow Dash used her Pegasus abilities and raw speed to drag some of the shadow-smoke beasts together and pin them in place, and Sora & Donald bombarded them with Fire spells to destroy them.

With so much extra support, the remaining smoke-shadow creatures were quickly either destroyed or driven to flee. The new arrivals and Shining's group came together, Twilight and her big brother embracing.

"I take it those were Sombra's underlings?" Knuckles asked.

"Familiars, more like" Shining replied. "Come on, we'll take you to the Crystal Empire. Cadence & I have been working in shifts, holding a barrier dome around the city to keep Sombra and his shadows out. But even with the workload being split, it's taxing…"

"Well now that we're here," Sora said, "maybe we can get rid of this guy before he causes any major damage."

Shining and the guardsponies led the three hero groups through the snow, soon cresting a hill. And as they got to the top of the hill…

"Whoooah~…" Sora stared in awestruck wonder.

In the heart of a vast snowy plain, an enormous translucent pink dome-barrier spell encompassed a city of crystalline houses and buildings centered around an enormous castle of white, silver, & blue, the city surrounded by rolling grassy hills.

"Uh-oh! Behind us!" Goofy suddenly cried out.

Everyone turned to see a roiling mass of black clouds surging toward them, and part of them at the front formed into a huge equine head with glowing red & green eyes and a large, jagged horn. With an echoing wicked laugh, the spectral form of King Sombra rushed at them. Immediately, Donald and Twilight fired magical blasts, but they did virtually nothing.

"Leg it!" Shining shouted. "Get to the barrier!"

The hero group took off running down the snowy hill, toward Cadence's barrier around the Crystal Empire. Sora and Rarity fired magic blasts back at the entity as they ran, hoping to slow it down. As they all neared the barrier, it briefly opened to let them through, and then snapped back into place behind them; Sombra roared in anger and pain as the very tip of his horn was severed by the closing barrier, a half-inch-long horn shard dropping to the grassy ground, hidden amongst crystalline rocks…

"The good news is," Shining said while panting for breath, "Sombra still hasn't regained his physical form and his full power. The bad news is, as time passes, he'll likely regain more of his strength and further stabilize himself. If he manages to pull himself back together fully, we're in _real_ trouble."

"If he's this dangerous now," Tails said while looking back at the shadowy mass loitering just outside the barrier, "I don't wanna think about how bad he'll be at full strength."

After everyone caught their breath, Shining Armor led them all through the city, heading toward the palace. As they passed, they caught sight of equine figures peering cautiously out at them from windows and alleys.

"The crystal ponies," Shining explained, "the inhabitants of this land, are all still affected by Sombra's tyranny. Nopony smiles; their memories are fuzzy, and they're all confused, nervous… _traumatized_."

Sonic clenched a fist; anyone who would reduce people to such a sorry state had to be punished and kept from spreading any further misery.

Reaching the very tall castle, they were led through glimmering hallways manned by guardsponies and COG soldiers & personnel. Reaching the throne-room, they found Princess Cadence sitting in the fancy chair, her horn glowing with magic. Seeing the heroes, a smile formed on her weary face.

"I'll take it from here, honey" Shining told her. "It's my shift now."

Taking a seat beside her, he projected a massive blue barrier-dome over the city, just inside Cadence's. He expanded it slightly outward to match hers in size at the same time she finally dispelled her barrier, and she relaxed so much her legs almost fell out from under her.

"Kinda wish Turris wasn't busy" she said. "He could keep a barrier like this up for _days_ without breaking a sweat." She looked up at the visitors, smiling. "Still, I'm _so_ glad to see that we've got more help with this."

"What do we know so far?" Twilight asked.

"Not much, I'm afraid. We've asked the populace, but their memories are blocked – or repressed. We were about to have some of our people comb through the palace's library for clues when you all showed up."

"We're on it" Twilight and Tails said together.

**-****_Scene Break_****-**

After a little searching, they found a book in the library that told of some of the Crystal Empire's history and traditions. One of the important-looking topics was the Crystal Fair, a celebration meant to unite the hearts of the crystal ponies. Central to it was something called a "Crystal Heart", but the book had nothing on it…

"Shouldn't be too hard…" Twilight muttered. "There's plenty of crystals around here big enough to carve into a heart shape."

With Tails taking the book along for reference, the heroes got to work setting up a crystalline carnival in the center of town. With Dash & Goofy setting up jousting exhibitions, Sora and Sonic providing acrobatic shows, Pinkie providing the snacks (and the flugelhorn), and so on, the crystal ponies gradually regained their smiles, some of them transitioning from dulled hues to bright, shimmering colors as if made of lustrous crystal.

All in all, things seemed to be going quite well. But suddenly, Rainbow Dash rushed in looking panicked, dragging the hero teams over to where the public couldn't hear her.

"Guys, we've got a _huge_ problem" she whispered. "The Crystal Heart isn't just some symbolic thing. It's a real, actual magical artifact, which _we don't have_. Apparently Sombra hid _the_ Crystal Heart away somewhere – nopony knows _where_. And without it, we can't actually protect the Crystal Empire from him!"

Twilight went pale, glancing over at the sheet covering the lump of random, non-magical heart-shape-carved crystal atop the central pedestal.

"But… Why didn't the book say anything?" Tails asked.

"We have to find it before the crystal ponies find out about-"

Twilight's proclamation was cut short as a multitude of crystal ponies approached, cheerful and chatting with each other, having decided they wanted to see the sacred Crystal Heart that was the core of their city's light & love.

"Ohhh, damn…" Knuckles murmured.

"Uhhh… Hi there, folks!" Sora waved with a nervous grin. "Enjoying the fair? We've got even more cool stuff planned, so if you could just be patient for a bit while we get things ready…"

"We kinda wanted to see the Crystal Heart" one of the stallions said.

"Oh, but it's gotten some smudges on it" Rarity lied. "We, uh, really should clean and polish it before we go showing it off to the public!"

"Why don't you guys go try the funnel cake?" Sonic suggested. "We just need a little longer to make sure the Heart is presentable, like Rarity says!"

At this point, more of the crystal ponies were coming to see, some of them starting to murmur about the Crystal Heart.

"What _now_, Twilight?" Applejack muttered to the group's alicorn through clenched teeth.

"I'm _thinking_!" she whispered back.

Suddenly, a bitter wind began to blow through the area, laced with red energy. The heroes and crystal ponies braced themselves as the dark power in the wind made it feel hot and cold at the same time. After several seconds, the wind subsided… and gasps of shocked confusion rang out. The heroes turned to look, and saw that the sheet covering the fake crystal heart had been blown away.

"T… _That's_ not the Crystal Heart!" one of the crystal ponies shouted. "What's going on!?"

"Wait…" another one stepped forward. "That book the fox is holding… I recognize it! It's a book about the Crystal Empire's history and traditions!"

He snatched the book out of Tails' hands, scrolling through it. After a few seconds, he gasped.

"The page that tells about the Crystal Heart is missing; it's been removed from the book! …Sombra! Sombra must've removed the page so that outsiders wouldn't know about the Crystal Heart, couldn't use it to stop him!"

"He planned that far ahead!?"

"What do we do!?"

"Sombra hid the Crystal Heart away, _and_ made it so outsiders who wanted to help us would have no idea _how_!?"

"We're _doomed! _He's going to kill us all!"

As dread and panic started to spread amongst the crystal ponies, they faded to their previous dull colorations. Suddenly, there was a red glow accompanied by low, wicked chuckles.

"Ah, such beautiful panic…" a voice with a deep flanging reverb remarked.

Everyone turned to see a tall and slender Mobian, black with tufts of white fur, wearing a silver mask with a single eye-hole to reveal his glowing yellow eye.

"Infinite" Sonic growled as he & the other heroes got ready to fight. "You're here, too? …Are you helping Sombra?"

"Not really, no" the jackal replied. "He doesn't really _need_ my help. I'm just observing… and waiting to relish in the terror and suffering he will cause."

"He won't" Sora pointed his Keyblade. "We'll stop him!"

As a few crystal ponies murmured at the sight of the legendary weapon of Light in the youth's hands, Infinite sighed.

"Such youthful optimism… Someone really ought to beat that out of you."

(BOSS MUSIC: _Sonic Forces _– "Battle with Infinite: First Bout")

Infinite pulled out his Phantom Ruby, and a pulse of red energy raced out. Everyone was blasted away from him with the exception of Sora and Sonic, thrown outside of a newly formed shimmering red barrier that trapped the two heroes in with him. As the two got ready for battle, Infinite floated in the air, surrounded by a glitchy red aura.

With a wave of his hand, Infinite conjured a wave of red & black energy bolts that curved through the air as they shot toward Sora & Sonic. Sora quickly cast Reflega to protect them both, the dark bolts crashing against it, and then returned fire with a concentrated Light-type _Sagitta Magica_ arrow that blasted Infinite back a good meter or so. Snarling, Infinite prepared to fling something else at the boy, only to be forced to raise a shield that only partially withstood a homing attack from Sonic.

Infinite flew in low & fast at Sora, striking with a rapid barrage of darkness-charged punches & kicks that Sora used his Keyblade to block while backstepping and giving ground. With his last punch, though, Infinite activated his Phantom Ruby. Sora suddenly found himself in a red-scale world, surrounded by a ring of red & black spears all pointed toward him. As they all shot inward, he charged his Keyblade with Light and spun, using the Spin Attack that the Links had taught him. His defensive attack successfully deflected the incoming phantom spears, and the wave of Light freed him from the Phantom Ruby's lethal genjutsu.

Sonic rushed in, dodging a dark blast Infinite fired at him, getting in close and striking with a lightning-fast barrage of punches. After numerous attempts to defend himself, Infinite landed a kick that knocked the wind out of Sonic, then teleported back a few meters and fired a concussive blast that blew the hedgehog back. Sora cast Cura on his ally as he charged in, and Infinite formed a 'glitchy' dark-red spiked shield to block the youth's Keyblade strikes and try to stab/slash him whenever he got an opening. Sora landed a couple of hits, but Infinite then created a shockwave that blew him back.

Channeling the Phantom Ruby's power, Infinite conjured an intelligent 'phantom' of Chaos 0. The water-spirit formed its forearms into blades and charged at Sora, engaging the boy in a duel. Meanwhile, Infinite and Sonic went one-on-one, the two Mobians dashing about and crashing against each other while shrouded in red and blue auras. Again and again they clashed, exchanging blows of lightning speed and crushing force, neither of them able to overcome the other.

"Getting tired yet?" Sonic asked with a grin, panting a little.

"More like bored" Infinite replied, breathing a little hard.

There was a splash as Sora finally destroyed the Phantom-Chaos, running over to rejoin Sonic against Infinite.

"You think you can beat both of us at once?' he said.

(MUSIC END)

"Probably" the dark jackal replied. "But… It seems I won't have to. For you see, when your dear princess closed the barrier after letting you all inside, the barrier severed the very tip of Sombra's horn…"

He pointed over in the distance, to by the inner edge of the barrier… where numerous large, sharp, purple & black crystals could be seen sprouted up, pressing against the barrier from within while Sombra's ethereal form strained from outside. As the heroes watched in stunned horror, the dual-sided assault finally eroded the barrier, forming a massive hole in it. In the palace, Shining Armor quickly tried to repair the damage, but it was too late; the huge black cloud that was Sombra was inside.

As the crystal ponies began to scream and panic, the protective barrier being dispelled now that it was useless, Infinite teleported out, dispelling the field holding Sora & Sonic inside.

"Twilight!" Sora called. "Find the Crystal Heart! We'll hold Sombra off!"

"But I don't know where to look!" she shouted. "Wait… If he wanted to make sure no-one could use it, he'd put it in a place everyone would be too scared to look – his castle!"

"Twilight, take me with you" Spike said. "You might need backup!"

"Fine, hop on!"

As Twilight & Spike took off, heading for Sombra's old lair, the six 'travelers' – Sora, Sonic, Donald, Tails, Goofy, & Knuckles – started heading toward the massive dark storm-cloud form of Sombra. Soon they were beset by Shadow Slashers – tall and emaciated-looking creatures, jet-black with glowing red eyes, long sharp claws on their elongated arms and huge fangs in their glowing red mouths. Dark creatures created by Sombra over 1,000 years ago, scattered and leaderless for the past millennium but now reunited under their master.

With a screeching roar, the Shadow Slashers began to charge at the six heroes. Donald blasted a couple with Blizzaga, while Knuckles closed in and started hammering the dark creatures with stone-pulverizing blows. Two spinning attacks, a 'Goofy Tornado' and 'Tails Twister', bashed their way through the enemy lines, while Sonic chained homing-attacks amongst the Shadow Slashers and Sora wielded his legendary weapon of Light to great effect against the creatures of Darkness.

The six heroes steadily made their way through their opposition, rapidly culling the Shadow Slashers' numbers. Soon, they had broken through and were nearing the huge mass of malevolent black cloud. Then, as they approached, the cloud flew downward and began to compress and condense, taking a solid form. They stared, wary and ready, as Sombra stood before them – a tall unicorn stallion with dark grey fur and a wild black mane, clad in a red cape lined with white fur. His limbs and neck were covered in flexible silver armor, and a silver headband sat upon his brow. His horn was blood-red and curved slightly, and his red eyes had slit pupils, green sclera, and faint wisps of light-purple dark magic coming from them.

"Sombra, I presume…" Sora said, taking a defensive stance.

"My, my…" the warlock said with a smirk. "One of the legendary weapons, a Keyblade – nay, _the_ Keyblade – brandished before me. But look at its wielder – a boy, not even out of adolescence yet, thinking you can stop me. …Then again, I feel that underestimating anyone chosen by that blade would be a very bad idea on my part. And I can see in your eyes that you have seen many battles, overcome many hardships. No, I will treat you with the seriousness you have earned…" his smirk turned into a fanged grin "by using my _full might_ to crush every last bone in your body."

"Lots of people have tried" Sora replied. "You won't fare any better than they did."

"We're putting an end to your tyranny" Sonic punched his palm.

"Hmm… Like the boy, you have the air of an accomplished hero. You're a threat worth taking seriously, too." Sombra chuckled as a black aura enveloped him like a smoldering flame. "Yes, this promises to be a challenging – and entertaining – battle…"

(BOSS MUSIC: _Kingdom Hearts III _– [Vs. King of Toys])

A cold breeze picked up for a few seconds, before abruptly growing into a swirling gale of ice and Darkness. The sextet braced themselves, shielding their faces as the evil wind howled. When they could see again, they were surprised to see their surroundings engulfed in black crystals and dark-purple enchanted ice. Storm clouds swirled high overhead, and Sombra stood atop a pillar of dark ice, eyes and horn glowing with evil power. Sombra grinned as he conjured several large spears of black ice, and with a wave of his horn they all shot down at the heroes.

The six heroes scattered to dodge, with Sora and Knuckles smashing out of the air some of the ice-spears that came at them. Donald cast a Reflega barrier to shield himself, Tails, & Goofy, while Sonic chained homing-attacks up some of the spears to close in on Sombra. The "Blue Blur" landed a solid hit, knocking Sombra off his pedestal, and the dark unicorn snarled as he landed on his feet, eyes glowing green.

Sombra charged at Sora while conjuring a black & red serrated broadsword and a spike-lined tower shield, wielding both with his telekinesis. He struck with wide, powerful blows that almost knocked Sora back when he blocked them, and used his large shield to block the youth's return blows. Goofy and Tails rushed in from the sides, striking with shield and tails to try and push Sombra back. He pulsed his aura to shove them back, but Sora took the moment of opportunity to slip past the warlock's guard and land a handful of strikes with his Keyblade.

Forcing Sora back with another wave of strikes, Sombra then forced Sonic to abort an attack by swirling multiple razor-sharp crystal shards around himself as a lethal barrier. The dark unicorn then poured magic into his own shadow, which expanded rapidly and then extended up from the ground as multiple shadowy claws, trying to slash and stab at the heroes. Donald kept the ones coming for him back with Fira blasts, Sonic and Goofy bashed them back as best they could, Sora tried hacking them away but the new ones kept coming to replace those he vanquished, Tails was flying overhead, waiting for a chance to land safely…

'Wait, where's the sixth one?'

As soon as Sombra thought that, the ground beneath his hooves seized as Knuckles lunged up from underground, fists first, hitting Sombra in the gut with a rising double-punch and disrupting the shadow-claw spell. Sombra pulled a short-range teleport to dodge the echidna's follow-up blows, firing a focused wave of Darkness bolts at him, only for Sonic to dash in and yank his pal out of the way and to safety. Sombra then conjured what looked like several giant dark-ice snowflakes, about a foot or two across, with stabbing spikes and razor-sharp edges. He sent them flying, the deadly projectiles slicing through the air towards the heroes. Sora & Donald combined fire magics to create a swirling wave of flames that deflected and melted most of them, the duck mage then using Cura to heal the wound that Tails took from a near-miss. Then, Sora threw his Keyblade in a Strike Raid and used the 'Reverse Recall' trick to teleport himself to it, getting in close to the startled Sombra and landing several strong blows capped off with a charged blast of Light.

Snarling in barely-contained fury, Sombra's eyes glowed bright green as he called down two thick tendrils of the black clouds overhead, infusing more of his essence into them and using powerful transfiguration magic to change them into flowing masses of shadowy darkness with multiple huge jagged crystal spikes along their forms. The dark constructs surged forward, lunging at the heroes like enormous serpents. Sora & Donald bombarded the one going for their group with magic blasts as they & Goofy did their best to avoid its strikes, while Sonic, Tails, & Knuckles used their speed and agility to avoid the one coming after them, with Knuckles also punching at it.

Gathering his magic, Donald zapped one of the giant tendrils with Thundaza, stunning it; meanwhile, Tails threw out some of the "electro-grenades" he'd recently invented, briefly paralyzing the other mass of shadow & crystal. Sora and Sonic immediately started running and leaping up the things, closing in on Sombra. Sora fired a wave of Rangarok bolts, impacting the evil unicorn with explosive force, and Sonic followed in their wake with a homing attack, and then when he bounced back after doing that he came in with another, then another and another.

Swinging his conjured longsword at Sonic to force him back, Sombra wrapped his magic around his own torso and formed it into a pair of large jet-black wings of shadow. The evil pseudo-alicorn took flight, firing dark-magic blasts down at the heroes, with Sora and Donald firing Light-type magic blasts up at him in return. He added in some more ice spears and shadow claws, making it harder for them, but then a shield-throw from Goofy clonked Sombra upside the head, briefly stunning him. Team Sonic then made their next move, Tails grabbing onto Sonic's ankles while his in turn were held by Knuckles. The red echidna spun his friends around while he & Tails 'willed' their energy into Sonic, and then the little orange kitsune let his friend fly. Sonic shot forth while wreathed in blue energy, zipping through the air and bouncing off midair debris & projectiles to pummel Sombra from all directions at lightning speed. As the warlock was left reeling from the Sonic Overdrive, Sora was first launched high by Goofy and then given a floating rune as a platform from Donald to kick off of, shooting down at Sombra from an angle and nailing him with a Sonic Blade strike.

Groaning in pain, Sombra then grinned and chuckled.

"It will take more than that to vanquish me, boy" he said.

Suddenly, he snapped his attention toward the crystal palace. The heroes looked as well, and saw Spike scurrying along crystal spires and outcroppings, clutching a huge heart-shaped shimmering gem.

"No… No you don't, you little whelp!"

Sombra took off toward the little dragon, flying at full speed despite Sora and Donald firing magic blasts at him. Spike lost his footing and fell off the high spire, he and the Crystal Heart plummeting toward the earth. Sombra had a huge fanged grin as he closed in on them both, ready to skewer the juvenile dragon and reclaim the ancient artifact…

Suddenly, Cadence – launched by her husband – streaked in and snatched Spike and the Crystal Heart less than a second before Sombra could reach them. Sombra froze in shock, and then roared and tried to go after them, only for a double Thundaga from Sora and Donald to blindside him. Enraged, he began charging a massive amount of dark power, preparing to fire it as a huge, deadly beam of destructive energy…

Then, the streets below began to light up, forming an intricate snowflake-like grid centered on where the Crystal Heart floated in its mount in the center of the plaza beneath the raised palace. Panicking, Sombra immediately turned and fired his huge, thick beam of Darkness down at the crystal. The artifact fired first, releasing a rapidly-expanding wave of Light that shot outward, obliterating the dark crystals in its path. Sombra growled as he pushed his attack against the expanding Light, making the holy energies slow and falter. The warlock laughed evilly…

And then a thin snipe-shot of Light magic fired from Sora's Keyblade struck his horn, fracturing it. Sombra's attack suddenly sputtered and weakened, and was then extinguished by the resurging Light. He roared out in fury as the Light engulfed him, the divine power atomizing him and erasing him utterly. The light expanded outward to purge the dark crystals throughout the city, and then shot upward as a pillar of rainbow light that dispelled the evil clouds overhead, revealing clear crystal-blue sky.

**-****_Scene Break_****-**

Sora and company joined everyone else for the celebration, their bodies just as shimmering and crystalline-looking as the ponies'. It turned out that the Crystal Empire had long held a myth about the legendary "Crystal Princess", and Cadence fit the legends perfectly, so they were all clamoring for her to become the new Empress.

"We can't thank you all enough for your help" Shining armor told Team Sora and Team Sonic. "Without you guys, Sombra could've caused a lot more damage. Now we can set about rebuilding, and getting the Crystal Empire up and running."

"Happy to help" Sonic replied. "I wish we could've dealt with Infinite, too…"

"We'll get another chance at him" Knuckles assured his friend.

"We had better keep moving" Sora said. "We'd love to stay and be tourists for a bit, but the Organization isn't going to just sit around while we do."

Shining Armor nodded. "Understood. Duty calls, and all that. Good luck out there, Sora, Donald, Goofy… And if we find out anything about that ancient box everyone's looking for, we'll let you know."

Sora nodded in thanks, as he & his friends headed out. Soon, the Gummi Ship lifted off and flew away, the shimmering light of the Crystal Palace at their backs.

**-****_CHAPTER END_****-**

I might end up coming back and expanding on the last stage of the fight one day, if I can come up with a way/reason for Sora to be able to fly so he and Sombra can have a proper epic clash in the midst of the storm clouds. At the moment, though, Sora can only fly under his own power if he has Tinkerbell's pixie dust or is in his Final Form…


	7. Darkness' Tangled Web

Just saying ahead of time; for the non-original stuff, I use the playthrough vids by YouTuber "rubhen925" for reference. You'll understand why I'm pointing this out soon enough…

**SEE CHAPTER ONE FOR (MOST) DISCLAIMERS**

PLEASE READ & REVIEW, AND TEND TO THE TROPE PAGES

**-****_CHAPTER START_****-**

**Kingdom of Corona**

Birds chirped and plants rustled in the breeze as five people strolled through the forest, taking in the atmosphere – Sora, Donald, & Goofy joined by two DDF volunteers.

"It sure is a pretty day" Goofy said, looking up at the clear blue sky and bright sun.

"Yeah," Sora replied, stretching, "the weather is great. It'd be perfect for a picnic."

"The breeze and sunshine feel so nice~," Haruka Haruno said dreamily, "and the air is so fresh and clean!"

"Why do you think we came _here_?" Donald asked.

"Got me, Donald" Sora replied.

"We'll figure it out as we go" said Link, Hero of Twilight.

"Just what I was thinkin'!" Goofy said. "'Sides, if there's trouble on a world, it tends to find us before we find it."

"I'm sure we were brought to this world for _some_ good reason," Sora said, "but can't we sweat it later?"

"Fine with me," Donald replied, "as long as there's no Heartless."

Just then, they all suddenly heard a man's scream. Looking around, they were startled as a man appeared with a thud several meters behind them, rubbing at his lower back. He looked young, maybe early 20s, with brown hair and a lean-muscled build, wearing dull-brown trousers, brown boots, and a deep-blue vest over a bluish-grey shirt. The man looked back & up, and scrambled to his feet as several Heartless – Bizarre Archers and a new kind of Heartless that looked like rotund dark-brown seed-like things with yellow flowers atop their heads and flower-petal arms – leapt down and resumed chasing him.

As the man ran past the quintet, the "main trio" conjured their weapons while Haruka transformed and Link drew his blade.

"You see?" Sora said to Donald. "Soon as you mention 'em, they show up!"

"There goes our picnic…" Goofy added.

"Don't blame this on _me_!" the duck snapped.

"Say," the man called out from behind a boulder, "since you five seem to know what you're doing, mind if I leave this one to you?"

"Yup, we'll take care of them" Sora replied. "Go on, skedaddle!"

"You have my thanks! Whew… The horse was enough; don't need any monsters on my trail…"

"The _what_ was enough?" Link called back.

"N-Nothing, nothing! Name's Flynn – Flynn Rider. Thanks, strangers!"

As Flynn turned & fled, the Heartless began their attack, several of the Puffballs charging. Cure Flora rushed forward and nailed one with a punch so hard the little Heartless was sent careening into a tree clear across the clearing with a resounding splat. Link and Sora cut a couple more of them down, and then almost got speared by arrows fired by the Bizarre Archers in back. As Sora kept on attacking the Puffballs, Link drew his own bow & arrows and fired a couple Ice Arrows at the marksman Heartless, freezing them and letting a boomerang shield-throw from Goofy take them both out. Donald deep-fried a couple Puffballs with Fira blasts.

More of the archer Heartless spawned in, along with a handful of green striped bell-shaped "element music" Heartless wreathed in gusts of Wind magic – Malachite Bolero. Sora & Flora synced their magic and attacked together, her Lys Tourbillon being boosted by his focused Aerora to batter and slice through the Bizarre Archers, destroying several. Goofy's shield bash was deflected by a wind barrier surrounding the Malachite Bolero he attacked, but he put more force into his next blow and this time he got through, knocking the little Heartless senseless and letting the Royal Knight finish it off. Donald boosted Link's Gale Boomerang with wind magic as the hero threw it, and it overpowered two more Boleros' wind barriers and cut them down.

Sora and Goofy pulled off a "Goofy Bombardier" that flattened the remaining Bizarre Archers. A couple of Malachite Boleros tried to box Goofy in with their slicing winds, but Cure Flora and Link came in from above with a heel-drop and falling slash that destroyed both. Then, as the remaining Malachite Boleros came together to form a deadly tornado of battering razor wind, Sora and Donald combined their magic for a Firaza blast that was sucked into the deadly whirlwind, resulting in the Heartless inside being roasted to a crisp.

As the freed Hearts floated away, Sora looked around.

"Where'd Flynn go?" he said.

"He skedaddled" Donald replied, using Sora's own words.

"I think I saw him go thataway" Goofy pointed.

"Huh?" Haruka tilted her head as she de-transformed. "But that leads to a dead end…"

"Puzzling…" Link remarked.

"Hmm… I say we investigate" Sora said, beginning to walk in that direction.

The quintet pressed on, not running into any more trouble as they passed the abundant plants and birds and rocks and things (no nameless horse, though). Soon they reached the dead end, where a thick growth of vines seemed to cover the rockface.

"He couldn't have come _this_ way" Donald said.

"Welp," Sora stretched, "at least he got away safe."

He leaned back against the vines… and fell right through, revealing that they were covering the entrance of a cave.

"Whoa, secret passage!" he said from the ground.

They passed through the cave, reaching a spacious hidden area surrounded by tall cliffs, with a small lake fed by a waterfall. At the far end of the area was a tower, painted stone with ivy vines wrapped around it.

"Hmm, this feels kind a familiar" Haruka said. "Like I've read something like this in a story before. I can't quite recall…"

The five heroes headed for the lone tower, with Link & Goofy taking out a trio of Puffballs that tried to ambush the group. As they approached, they caught sight of Flynn using a pair of tools to slowly crawl his way down the tower… and then, from the window at the top, an enormous flowing golden mass was tossed out, reaching to the ground. A girl in a purple dress rappelled down it, and the heroes were stunned to realize that incredibly long golden thing was her _hair_. Haruka went starry-eyed; she wasn't quite as big a fairytale buff as Cure Happy, but she still realized that she & her comrades were in a Rapunzel-based world!

"_That_ must take forever to wash" Link quipped.

Reaching the bottom, the girl clung to her hair-rope, looking fearfully down at the ground. Slowly, cautiously, she set her bare feet down on the grass.

"It's… so soft!" she said, a smile forming. "I'm free! I'm finally free!"

As she started happily running around, Sora & the gang hurried over to Flynn as he finally reached ground level.

"Flynn!" Good to see you in one piece!"

"Huh?" the man turned to see them, and smiled. "Guys! You're here, and just in time."

They heard the girl laughing happily as she waded in the lake.

"Um, who's she?" Sora asked.

"That would be Rapunzel, apparently" Flynn replied (with Haruka suppressing a squee at her suspicion being confirmed; Miyuki was going to be so jealous!) "Something tells me this could be her first time outdoors. Give her a few minutes to get used to it."

"First time _ever_?"

For the next hour or so, Rapunzel alternated between frolicking around and delighting in her newfound freedom, and freaking out and attacking herself over disobeying her "mother's" orders to never leave. She seemed to switch between the two at the drop of a hat, sometimes multiple times per minute, and a couple times she did both at once.

"I… notice you seem a little at war with yourself here" Flynn said to her during one of her 'down' periods.

"A little _more_ than a little" Goofy added.

Finally noticing the quintet, Rapunzel gasped and moved back, brandishing her frying pan.

"Relax, relax" Flynn told her. "These are my sidekicks, like I said!"

"Sidekicks?" Link muttered.

"Roll with it, please" Flynn whispered to him. "Ahem! May I introduce, uhh…"

"Oh! My name's Sora!"

"Donald!"

"And I'm Goofy. Pleasure, ma'am."

"I'm Link, and this sword here is home to a spirit named Fi who helps me."

"Greetings, milady" Fi's voice chimed from the Master Sword's hilt.

"And I'm Haruka!"

"It's… nice to meet you, too" the girl slowly relaxed, lowering her, uh, 'weapon'. "I'm Rapunzel. And this" she gestured to a little green lizard sitting on her shoulder and still looking at the newcomers with suspicion "is my friend Pascal."

Sora pulled Flynn close. "So, since when are we 'sidekicks'?" he whispered.

Flynn sighed. "Look, she really wants to see the lantern show tomorrow night. Now, I'm a nice guy, so I've decided to help her. Only problem is those monsters might show up again. I can get her to the Kingdom, but you folks are clearly more cut-out for combat than me."

"That's cause we're heroes!" Donald replied.

"And, we're experts on fightin' Heartless" Goofy added.

"Just leave it to us!" Sora said.

"Alright, great! …Y'know, that emblem they have on their bodies kinda looks like a heart that's crossed out; explains the name, I guess."

The quintet set out, trailing behind Flynn and Rapunzel.

"Rapunzel seems interesting" Donald remarked.

"Yeah," Goofy added, "her heart's pullin' her all kinds'a ways."

"I was kinda nervous about seeing the greater Hyrule the first time I left my village," Link said, "but I… don't think I was _this_ bad…"

"The outside world must seem so big and scary" Sora said. "I know how she feels. Lucky for me you two came along at just the right time – and the rest has been unforgettable."

The group pressed on through the bright forest, letting Rapunzel see and experience more things as they went. As they entered a small clearing full of wildflowers, they saw a huge ball of fluff sitting in the center, like a gigantic dandelion. Grinning, Rapunzel made to investigate, only for Link to hold an arm out to stop her, Master Sword drawn.

"Hold on" he said, eyeing the fluffball suspiciously. "That doesn't look like any plant I've seen before." He pointed the Master Sword at it, and the blade pulsed blue. "Thought so. My sword was forged to fight against demons and creatures of darkness, and it reacts to them. That's no plant."

With its cover blown, the Chief Puff popped out of the earth – a black seedpod-like round body, two large sharp-edged leaf arms, a fluffy orange 'collar', and a huge afro of white dandelion fluff. Several Puffballs sprang up together with it, and Rapunzel took cover behind Flynn.

"All right, I hate to say it," he said to her as the travelers got ready to fight, "but I'm lettin' you outta this deal."

"What?" she let go of him, glaring at him confusedly.

"It's way too scary out here. Let's just turn around and take you home."

"No!" she shoved him back when he tried to guide her away. "I am going to see those lanterns."

She ran forward to join the fray, just as the Puffballs charged. She swung her massive hair, slamming into one of them and knocking it into its fellows, leaving them all disoriented. Several Puffballs got underneath the Chief Puff, forming into a tower of Heartless; the Chief Puff then pointed its fluff-afro at the heroes and fired a barrage of high-velocity seeds at them. Goofy and Link raised their shields to block the barrage, and Sora rushed in and used his Keyblade to start swatting away the Puffballs at the tower's base. The Chief Puff tried to slice him with its leaf-blades, forcing him back, and more Puffballs moved in to replace the losses.

Haruka transformed, using PreCure-powered punches to crush and fling away the Puffballs that went for her & Rapunzel. The local girl flung her hair high as a rope, latching onto a tree branch overhead, and made a wide swing to build momentum for a flying kick that caught a few Heartless off-guard and wounded them for Link & Sora to finish off. One of the Puffballs tried to get Rapunzel from behind, only to be put down by a thrown knife from Flynn.

Donald fired a Firaga blast at the Chief Puff, and the Heartless' cotton-fluff afro was set ablaze. It began to panic, flailing about and hopping in circles, making the 'tower' come apart. While Link dashed in amongst the disordered Puffballs and used a spin-attack to cut them all down, Rapunzel used her hair as a whip to smack the panicking Chief Puff into the nearby rockface, and Sora dashed in and finished it off with a quick combo of blows.

"What _were_ those things?" Rapunzel asked.

"The Heartless" Cure Flora replied. "Creatures of darkness that come into being when somebody's Heart is consumed by darkness. The more darkness in someone's Heart, the bigger and stronger their Heartless is. And if someone deliberately gives themselves to the darkness with the intent on becoming a Heartless, their Heartless will keep their original self's appearance and intelligence."

"That's extremely rare, though" Sora added. "We've seen tens of thousands of Heartless over the years, and that's only happened 3 times – Xehanort, Scar, and Malia."

"Let's keep moving before more of them show up" Donald said

The group pressed on, entering a narrow passage between rocks. In the next small clearing, a small handful of Bizarre Archers spawned in, along with a new kind of Heartless that looked like a parody of a lady in a Victorian dress and wide-brimmed feathered hat, wielding a fancy pink umbrella – a Parasol Beauty. Two more of them warped in, plus a pack of Puffballs for support.

As Link started shooting the Bizarre Archers with his own arrows, the nearest Parasol Beauty opened its parasol, pointed it at the heroes, and fired a concentrated bright-purple beam of energy. Donald dove to the side to dodge, and returned fire with a Blizzara blast that the fancy Heartless blocked with its parasol. Cure Flora rushed in, bashing aside a Puffball that tried to get in her way, and slid around the bigger Heartless' guard and started hammering it with blows, quickly overwhelming and destroying it.

The second Parasol Beauty held its parasol high and began spinning while rushing toward the heroes, its spin attack knocking Goofy and Sora back. Rapunzel threw her hair in and let it wrap around the Heartless, restraining it for Link to charge in and chop its head off. Flynn picked up a big rock and chucked it at a nearby Bizarre Archer that was too focused on trying to shoot Goofy, blindsiding it and crushing its head. While Rapunzel spun her hair around in a whipping strike to smack Puffballs away, the third Parasol Beauty fired a barrage of small energy bolts at her, only for Donald to cast Reflega to protect her. A Strike Raid from Sora stunned the Heartless, letting him close in and slash & bash it until it was destroyed. Link soon finished off the remaining Bizarre Archers, while Goofy took care of the few Puffballs left.

"They're persistent" Flynn remarked.

"They fear the power of the Keyblade and the Master Sword" Sora replied. "They single us out because of the threat our weapons pose to them. Plus, they're being commanded and controlled by a group of _intelligent_ bad guys who have it out for us, too."

"What do these leader bad guys look like, so we know to watch out for them?" Rapunzel asked.

"They all wear long black hooded coats with zippers and some jingly bits, and matchin' boots & gloves" Goofy replied. "'Course, a couple of _our_ people do, too – the Organization weren't the first folks to wear the coats, they just got associated with 'em by now."

The gang pressed on, soon reaching a clearing full of (non-Heartless) dandelions that Rapunzel frolicked in for a bit. As they moved on a bit further and encountered some rabbits, however, a small squadron of Malachite Boleros appeared. Goofy and Cure Flora moved back to protect the bunnies while Donald fired Blizzard blasts at the Heartless, forcing them to take evasive maneuvers that left them open to jumping strikes from Sora & Link that destroyed a few of them. The remaining Boleros formed up and tried to combine their wind magic together, but a bomb arrow from Link scattered and wounded them, letting Fira blasts from Sora & Donald finish them off.

As the bunnies went on their merry way, the gang proceeded through the peaceful forest. At one point Sora, Cure Flora (who'd decided to stay transformed until they were out of the Heatless-infested forest), and Rapunzel got caught up playing around in a pond.

"So Sora's an expert splash-fighter, huh?" Flynn remarked, crossing his arms with a mildly amused smirk.

"Well, he _was_ born & raised on a tropical island" Goofy replied. "Lots of water around all the time to play in."

Advancing onward, past a pack of Puffballs that a "Comet Flare" missile barrage from Sora & Donald made short work of, they were ambushed by a troop of Powerwilds from the canopy overhead. Sora threw a Strike Raid that destroyed three of them, while Donald zapped the rest with Thundaga, leaving them stunned long enough for Goofy, Link, & Cure Flora to take out four more. The remaining two tried to flee, but Sora blasted them with Firaga shots that took them out.

The gang moved on, Goofy dealing with a couple of Powerwild stragglers that tried to ambush them, and soon they came upon another clearing with a weird-looking plant in the middle, with a spiraling dark-blue stem topped by a large folded-up flower with white petals.

"…Do they really expect the same trick to work twice?" Link said.

"It didn't even work _once_" Goofy replied. "Hmm… Ya don't see very many white Heartless, though. Maybe it's just a flower?"

"I don't think so" Cure Flora said. "Something about it feels _wrong _\- unnatural…"

Pulling out his bow, Link fired a single arrow at the strange flower. Immediately the 'flower' began to twist and unravel and float upward, assuming the form of a humanoid head & torso wearing a jacket with oversized, pointed shoulders and a long pointed hood of faded pink, along with white elbow-length mittens that faded from pink to white. Its lower body looked to be like a skirt or lower cloak of silvery-white flower petals, constantly spinning like a propeller, and it was wielding a scythe with a large, pink blade with an upturned tip and multiple spikes. And on its forehead was a familiar symbol, like the top half of a heart upside-down with a spiky white cross jutting up from it. Two more of these entities appeared beside its fellow.

"They're Nobodies!" Goofy cried as he & his friends readied weapons.

"Mother said the outside world would be full of ruffians and thugs" Rapunzel said, backing away slightly at the sight of those huge scythes.

"The good news is there are a lot more decent people than there are people like that" Donald said. "The _bad_ news is that these things are a lot worse than some common thug!"

"When someone with a strong Heart is taken by the Heartless," Link explained, "the empty shell that's left behind, their body and life-force, become a Nobody. Those with particularly strong senses of self retain their original form and intelligence, and can even regrow their Hearts with time and connecting with others. But these lesser Nobodies can't; they just follow the smarter ones' orders, and try to find their lost completeness by trying to eat the Hearts of others!"

"So the 'Heart-less' are nothing _but_ Heart," Flynn said, "and the 'No-bodies' are nothing _but_ body?"

"Yeah, it never made too much sense to me, neither" Goofy replied.

"Flynn, get Rapunzel out of here!" Sora ordered. "Nobodies are more dangerous than Heartless; you can't exactly hurt them with a frying pan!"

"…Please be careful, Sora" Rapunzel said, as she & Flynn turned and fled.

The three Reapers went on the attack, floating at the heroes and swinging their deadly pink blades. Link engaged one in a duel, the two of them blocking and parrying each other's blows, appearing evenly matched. Meanwhile, the other two tried a pincer attack against Sora, but Goofy and Cure Flora barred their paths with a spinning shield bash and a palm-strike to the chest. Donald started zapping one of them with Thundara spells, but after the first hit it raised its scythe high and absorbed the lightning; the Reaper then swung its scythe to release a slicing wave of Lightning magic at the duck mage, who hastily formed a Reflega barrier that just barely held. Cure Flora tried to hit her opponent with a few more blows, but it flew up and over, and she almost lost her head to its retaliatory swing.

The Reaper fighting Link abruptly floated up and started spinning around, lashing out its scythe and the sharp edges of its propeller-like lower body. The Hero of Twilight was knocked back, but rolled out of the way as the Nobody flew at him, pulling out a bomb and chucking it. The explosion knocked the Reaper out of its spin and stunned it, and Link rushed in and started hacking and stabbing with his Master Sword, not giving the Nobody a chance to get its bearings back. Before long, the entity fell, disintegrating into wisps of white.

Cure Flora fired a Lys Tourbillon wave at the two remaining Reapers, but the Nobodies spun their scythes to deflect and slice away the attack's petals. However, this left them open, and Sora took advantage by attacking one of them from the side, delivering several punishing blows with his Keyblade before it smacked him away. The wounded Nobody was then blindsided again as Cure Flora helped 'launch' a Goofy Bombardier strike that finished it off. The last remaining Reaper surrounded itself in slicing petals, flying at the heroes and swinging its scythe madly. Link and Goofy blocked its blows, and Donald bombarded it with Firaga shots from behind, weakening it further. Finally, Sora flashed by in a Sonic Blade strike that finished it off, the Nobody falling and disintegrating.

"So, the Organization's definitely here" Sora said. "I'm surprised we haven't seen 'em. I know you're there! Come out, you has-beens!"

"Now, why would you say that?"

The quintet turned as out of a dark portal stepped a man clad in a familiar black coat. He had long, spiky pink hair, and his eyes bore the golden-yellow of Xehanort's essence.

"Marluxia…" Sora growled.

"Oh? I was under the impression your memories of Castle Oblivion were erased, Sora."

"They were. But in case you hadn't heard, there are other worlds out there where my adventures are a videogame series. Some of our friends from those worlds showed us all about what happened. So I may not personally remember you, or Larxene, or Zexion, or Vexen, but I _do_ know what you did!"

"So I see. Now then, if you'll permit me, I've come to ask a favor."

"Favor? You've gotta be kidding me."

"Please, hear what I have to say. I'm sure you've noticed… Well, perhaps not. But you should know that maiden with you, Rapunzel, is the very Light of this world. I would see you guard her from its dark horrors."

"Huh?!" the heroes were stunned; a Seeker of Darkness asking them to protect someone of the Light?

"Starting with _you_, right?" Link remarked.

"All the Organization seeks is balance" Marluxia replied. "You must understand, our ultimate objective is not to clash with the light. We seek to _complement_ it. Use that Keyblade… to keep Rapunzel safe."

With that, he vanished through a Dark Corridor.

"Rapunzel's light…" Sora muttered.

Suddenly, Fi popped out. "The girl known as Rapunzel…" she spoke. "Her Heart does not have any darkness in it, not the slightest bit. She appears to be an 'extra' Princess of Heart, separate from the seven bearers of that title whom you are already acquainted with, Sora. The probability is high that, like Maleficent before them, the Organization seeks to use the hidden powers of Princesses of Heart for their own ends. Therefore, they would have a vested interest in keeping those pure-hearted individuals alive and in one piece."

"If that's the case," Sora replied, "we're gonna have to keep them out of the Organization's clutches _and_ safe from the Heartless… Where'd she & Flynn go, anyway?"

"I guess they musta ran on ahead" Goofy replied.

"Then we'd better go find them."

The quintet hurried on through the forest, searching for the two locals. In the next clearing, another troop of Powerwilds attacked, and a "Flare Force" barrage by Sora & Donald cut their numbers in half and left the survivors stunned and wounded, easy prey for Link and Cure Flora. Advancing through rock-lined passages, they started passing through a marsh.

"I wonder where they went…" Sora murmured.

"Don't worry" Goofy replied. "They couldn't have gotten _too_ far."

"We just _had_ to stop and talk" Donald remarked.

"Hey!" Sora turned to him. "Blame Marluxia, not me!"

"Let's just focus on finding Rapunzel and Flynn before Mr. Tall, Dark, & Pink does first" Link said.

"Excuse me, good travelers" a woman's voice was heard. "Do you know Rapunzel?"

A middle-aged woman walked out from the shadows, wearing a dark-grey cloak over a red dress, lowering her hood to reveal curly black hair.

The quintet looked to each other. "Uh, yeah…" Sora replied. "Sort of."

"Who's asking?" Donald asked her.

"My apologies" the woman bowed. "I am Lady Gothel, Rapunzel's mother. The poor child left home without a word, and I've just been worried sick. Please, tell me: Where is my dear girl?"

"We'd tell ya," Goofy replied, "but we lost her."

"We were attacked by some of the evil creatures skulking about around here" Cure Flora explained. "We told her & her friend to run on ahead rather than risk them getting seriously hurt. But by the time we dealt with the creatures, Rapunzel and Flynn had gotten far enough ahead that we've lost track of them."

"We could look together" Sora suggested.

The woman shook her head, scowling. "And if those creatures appear again, you'll get caught up in fighting them, and she'll get even farther away. I'll find her myself…"

With that, the woman stalked away.

"She ran away from home?" Donald said.

"What if Marluxia was onto something back there?" Sora wondered.

"You'd trust Organization XIII?"

"No, of course not! But… what if?"

"I agree" Goofy said. "If Rapunzel's so important to the Organization's plan, why is she in danger, and what sort of darkness is after her?"

"I think we just met it" Link replied, glaring at where Gothel had disappeared. "I felt the Master Sword react when she was near; I think there could be great wickedness in that woman's heart…"

"In that case," Cure Flora said, "maybe getting Rapunzel back 'home' might not be the smartest idea…"

"But how could there be evil in the heart of the mother of someone pure-hearted like Rapunzel?" Donald asked.

"Not the first time something like that has happened…"

"We'll have to find her before we decide anything" Sora cut in. "Let's keep moving."

As they started making their way through the marsh, a force of Dusks led by a Reaper appeared. The scythe-wielding Nobody lunged at Cure Flora, who bent over backward to dodge its weapon swing and countered with a kick that launched the Reaper up into the canopy. The high-ranking Nobody skulked about overhead, waiting for an opening. Meanwhile, Link charged power into his Master Sword and swung to release a slicing wave of energy that killed one Dusk and wounded another, which was promptly finished off by a Blizzaga from Donald. Goofy launched Sora high, and the youth then zapped Dusks with Thundaga spells, letting Cure Flora and Link finish them off. The Reaper suddenly blitzed out from cover, flying at Sora while he was still airborne, but Sora cast an Aeroga barrier that stopped the Nobody's charge and flung it around. Disoriented, it was set upon by Link, who hacked it apart before it could regain its bearings.

Further into the marsh, the 'bats' hanging from creepy old trees revealed themselves to be Flutterings, bat-like Pureblood Heartless that went on the attack. Donald started zapping them with Thunder spells, only to be tackled aside by Goofy, barely avoiding a deadly energy beam fired by a Parasol Beauty hiding in the shadows. Cure Flora went for the big Heartless, dodging its energy bolts and getting in close to pound it with magic-charged blows until it was vanquished. Link used his Gale Boomerang to snatch up several Flutterings in a vortex, letting Sora slice them apart quickly. The few remaining bat-like Heartless turned and fled, abandoning the attack.

"This place is a maze" Sora remarked. "How are we even gonna get through here, much less find Rapunzel."

"Master," Fi chimed in, "I believe I can track the signature of Rapunzel's pure Heart to serve as a beacon for us."

"Excellent" Link replied. "Please do."

After a few seconds, the Master Sword began to glow, the glow brightening whenever Link pointed it in a certain direction. He led the way, the quintet making their way through the dark and spooky marsh. Soon they reached a cave, climbing up the walls to progress, and finally they got out of the marsh and back into the sunshine. A few Powerwilds clinging to the cliff walls tried chucking things at them, but Link used his arrows to shoot the monkeys down, letting his friends take them out.

Finally, as they exited the cliff passage and got back into the forest, they heard Rapunzel's voice. Hurrying, they found her standing between a downed Flynn and a large white horse that was glaring at the man. Thankfully, Rapunzel and Pascal somehow got the horse to stand down, and right away she started petting him.

"Such a good boy" she cooed to the horse. "Are you all tired from chasing this bad man all over the place?"

"Excuse me?!" Flynn cried indignantly as the horse nodded.

"Nobody appreciates you, do they?" she kept talking to the horse.

"Oh, come on! He was trying to kill me!"

"Oh, no he wasn't; he's just a big sweetheart! Isn't that right…" she looked at the medallion on the horse's saddle "Maximus?"

"You've got to be kidding me" Flynn groaned.

In response, Maximus glared at him again, taking an angry posture.

"Look," Rapunzel said to the white stallion, "today is kind of the biggest day of my life. And the thing is, I need you _not_ to get him arrested. Just for 24 hours, and then you can chase each other to your hearts' content. Okay?"

Flynn, still grumpy, offered his hand, but Maximus huffed and turned away.

"And it's also my birthday, just so you know" Rapunzel added.

Sighing, the horse shook hands with Flynn.

"Rapunzel!"

As Sora & the gang came running up, Rapunzel smiled. "You're here! And you're okay!"

There was an "oof!" behind her as Maximus 'gently' jabbed Flynn in the gut while Rapunzel wasn't looking.

"We're glad to see you guys are okay, too" Sora said.

"And look!" she said. "I made a friend. Meet Maximus. You could say Flynn introduced us. And where one goes, the other follows. Maximus, this is Sora, Goofy, Donald, Haruka, and Link. They've been helping me."

Looking the quintet over for a few seconds, Maximus gave an accepting nod.

Link smiled. "Kinda reminds me of Epona, my horse back home. Though, she's got a reddish-brown coat, and she's a little bit bigger than Maximus is…"

"Come on," Flynn groaned, "the kingdom's not far."

The gang pressed onward, taking it slow for a bit to enjoy the beautiful scenery around them. Soon, they reached some cliffs that would need to be scaled in order to reach the kingdom. They gradually made their way up, Rapunzel using her hair as a rope to swing by in order to cross the gaps. A small pack of Shadows tried to attack them all, but Link's blade and Maximus' mighty hooves made short work of the little Heartless.

Soon, they made their way into an old mine, occupied by a pack of Flutterings led by an Earth Core. As Donald, Goofy, & Rapunzel started handling the small bat-like Heartless, the Earth Core lunged at Sora & Link, trying to skewer them with its stone spines. They dodged and struck back, but its rocky hide withstood their blows. Cure Flora came in from the front with a flying kick to the face, and this attack did more damage, knocking the Earth Core back. Sora blasted it with Blizzaga, freezing it, and Link then shattered it with a bomb arrow.

Moving onwards & upwards through the mine, they reached another wide-open area, crossing a gap and arriving at another clearing surrounded by the cliffs. In the center of the clearing was an odd tower-like object with a pair of big wheels at the bottom. As they approached, the construct lurched, and several little cannons unfolded from it. Atop it, a Powerwild hooted at and taunted them.

As several more Powerwilds spawned, the one on top of the wheeled tower jumped up & down, triggering it to fire cannonballs in all directions. Quickly, Link used a Fire Arrow to dispose of that one, while Donald's Thundaga, Rapunzel's spinning hair-whip strikes, and Cure Flora's attacks made short work of the other monkeys. But then, the tower's upper two portions leapt off, and from the bottom wheeled portion emerged the front half of a horse-themed Heartless. The other two sections sprouted wheels of their own and attached themselves to the back of the lead one, forming a train.

The 'Chaos Carriage' began charging around, threatening to trample the heroes. As they scattered to evade, Sora and Donald fired Firaga shots at the Heartless, chipping away at it. The horse-like Heartless neighed and stomped its two hooves, releasing a dark shockwave that blasted Goofy & Link back when they tried to close in and attack. As Donald healed those two, Sora & Flora went on the offensive, bashing and slashing and trying not to get crushed & trampled by the Chaos Carriage's reprisals. A supercharged heel-drop from Cure Flora finished the job, and the Chaos Carriage collapsed.

But then, the lead of the two remaining carriages sprouted its own horse-half, resuming the attack with a spinning strike that knocked the two 'lead' heroes away. It tried to charge at them, but an Ice Arrow from Link froze one of its wheels, leaving it helpless to pummeling attacks from Goofy and Rapunzel until the ice was broken. Donald hit the Chaos Carriage with Waterga, a sledgehammer of conjured water smashing the monster aside, and when it glared at him, Flynn swept in and knifed it in the face. Half-blinded, the Heartless started thrashing around wildly, until Sora ran in and finished it off.

The lone remaining Chaos Carriage began dashing around, trying to trample everyone, but Maximus timed a kick that knocked it for a loop as it ran past him. Donald and Sora bombarded the Heartless with magic attacks, and Cure Flora blasted it with Rose Tourbillon. Dazed and wounded, the Chaos Carriage was finished off when Link walked up and stabbed his sword through its head.

"Enough horsing around" Donald said. "Let's keep going."

After catching their breath for a moment, the gang scaled another little cliff and passed through a rocky passage, soon reaching a clearing full of wildflowers. After Rapunzel played with some birds for a little while, they found a slope covered in flowers that left Rapunzel and Haruka starry-eyed. After a long slide down the slope, they reached the shore of a large lake, and on the other side of the lake was a magnificent castle with a surrounding town.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Flynn said, "behold the Kingdom of Corona."

"I just _knew_ the outside world would be full of amazing things!" Rapunzel said happily. She turned to the group. "And you, all of you, helped me find them. Thank you!"

They all headed across the bridge into the castle town, with Rapunzel bubbling with excitement as she lead the way.

"She sure looks happy" Sora remarked.

"Well," Goofy replied, "her dream's gonna come true. They're sendin' the lanterns up after dark."

"Oh, I can't wait to see that!" Haruka (de-transforming) said.

They entered the castle town, following the path where Flynn & Rapunzel had gone ahead. People were mulling about, buying and selling wares, and decorations for the upcoming festival were strewn about. After exploring around the town for a little while, the quintet made their way to a plaza near the town center. There, they found Rapunzel with her hair now in a complex braid that made it "only" reach her ankles, with multiple flowers woven into it. Suddenly, the girl found herself drawn to a mural on a wall showing the kingdom's king & queen, the latter holding a blonde infant in her arms. Her gaze was fixed to the baby girl in the picture, the "lost princess"…

But then, before anything more could come of her pondering, Rapunzel's attention was drawn away by Team Sora's arrival and by the beginnings of festive music playing. Flowing to the center of the plaza, she began to dance, quickly gathering an audience. Before long, she had other people joining in, and soon the entire plaza was enjoying a festive dance with her. Haruka giggled happily as she and Rapunzel danced together, while Sora added some breakdancing moves using a nearby barrel that really wowed the crowd. And at the end of the dance, she ended up together with Flynn…

**-****_Scene Break_****-**

That night, the quintet sat by the lakeside and watched as countless lanterns were sent floating into the air, while Flynn & Rapunzel were in a rowboat amongst them all. Suddenly, they heard an odd sound several meters behind them. Getting to their feet, they turned to see a quintet of Reaper Nobodies spawning in.

"Could you guys have possibly picked a worse time?" Sora griped.

"I don't think they appreciate the moment, Sora" Goofy said.

"Not one bit!" Donald added.

Each of the five heroes picked a target. Link fired a slicing wave of energy from his Master Sword, catching a Reaper off-guard, and then closed in and started slashing away at it. The wounded Nobody turned itself upside-down and planted itself into the ground, its skirt-like portion opening up like a flower, and thorny tendrils of Nothingness sprouted and began lashing out at Link with slashing, stabbing strikes. Blocking hits with his shield, Link pulled out his bow and fired a Bomb Arrow that blew some 'petals' off, and then made a leaping strike and a downward stab that killed the Nobody.

Donald formed an Aerora barrier around himself to deflect a Reaper's scythe, and when the Nobody was knocked back he channeled the wind magic into a focused column of slicing wind that slashed and battered the monster. Two Firaga balls stunned the wounded Nobody and knocked its scythe out of its grasp, and a third hit it dead-on in the face, finishing it off. Cure Flora, meanwhile, hammered a Reaper with blows until she had to backflip to avoid its retaliatory scythe swing, and then she drew her 'Princess Rod', charged a Lys Tourbillon, and got in close. Jabbing the head of her artifact against the Reaper's chest, she fired, the floral Light magic tearing a hole through the Nobody.

Goofy used his shield to protect himself from the shimmering reddish-pink flower petals that the Reaper had scattered, having almost found out the hard way that they were explosive. As soon as he had an opening, he threw his shield, knocking the Reaper back. The Nobody planted itself upside-down and began lashing out with its thorns, but Goofy leapt high and then came down on the Nobody-plant dead-center with his shield, crushing and destroying the monster. Sora parried his opponent's slashing swings, stunned the Reaper with a Strike Raid, blasted it with Blizzaga to freeze it, and then used a smashing strike to shatter the frozen Nobody.

A pack of Dusks emerged, accompanied by three more Reapers. Goofy willed his strength to Sora, who was engulfed in crimson as he assumed his Valor Form. Using his enhanced strength & speed and dual Keyblades, he quickly vanquished a few Dusks and then turned his power against the closest Reaper, overwhelming its attempts to counterattack and taking it apart with little trouble. Link and Cure Flora went 2-on-2 with the remaining Reapers, while Donald & Goofy went after the Dusks. The duck mage's Thundaga stunned several of the Dusks, letting Goofy's thrown shield bounce around between them, finishing them off. Link's shield protected Cure Flora from a Reaper's scythe, and the magical girl then snapped the offending Nobody's neck with a kick. Sora, still in Valor Form, finished off the remaining Dusks and then went after the last Reaper. He charged power into his Keyblades and swung to release a slicing 'X' of energy that tore through the Nobody's guard and cut it down.

Elsewhere on the lake shore, Rapunzel watched in confused distress as 'Flynn' seemingly sailed off into the night, the stolen crown in his hands.

"Oh dear…" Marluxia said as he emerged behind her. "He's run off with the crown and forgotten you."

"No!" she snapped. "He wouldn't! …Who are you?"

"I am Marluxia, a member of the Seekers of Darkness, the organization opposed to Sora and his friends. …Forget 'Flynn Rider', Rapunzel. You know where you belong, and it's not with him. Now…"

**Rubhen925: [Thanks to Disney, this scene is blocked. Sorry for the inconvenience, but take your concerns to Disney!]**

As Team Sora walked along the lakeshore, they caught sight of a robed figure carrying a green lantern, seemingly leading another figure with a familiar head of braided blonde hair.

"Isn't that Rapunzel?" Sora asked. "Wait! Rapun-"

Suddenly, a Corridor of Darkness formed in front of them, Marluxia stepping out.

"Show some decorum" he said to them. "The girl has found her dear mother. You should let them be."

"And why is that?" Sora asked.

"Because Rapunzel is far too important. Atop her tower, she must remain out of sight, and live out her days with Mother Gothel."

"And never see anyone else?" Goofy asked.

"But that's like locking her in some prison!" Cure Flora snapped.

"That is _exactly_ what it's like" Marluxia replied. "Rapunzel's hair holds the powerful magic of healing. And yes, Mother Gothel wants that for herself, to maintain her immortality. And others desire it, as well. And if Mother Gothel's actions will protect Rapunzel, preserve her, then she is doing the Organization a favor."

"What 'favor'?" Sora asked.

"Let's say she's keeping Rapunzel on the shelf for us – an extra pawn in case you fail to find the remaining Guardians of Light, and we have occasion to call on other Hearts of Light instead. A 'New Seven Hearts' to fill out the ranks."

"New Seven Hearts?"

"Yes. Seven who inherited the princesses' Light after their role was fulfilled."

"So you don't care about her. You guys just want Rapunzel for your own purposes! Well, you're _done_ here!" He summoned his Keyblade.

"Hmph" Marluxia adjusted his bangs. "I just _knew_ you would go and make a scene. Very well, then. I can't have you lot interfering…" He conjured sparkling pink magic in his palm while cocking his arm back. "So, it's _lights out_."

He swung his arm, releasing a wave of sparkling pink mist that passed over the hero quintet. At once, they all were struck by overpowering drowsiness. Despite attempts to fight it, all five of them soon collapsed, out cold.

"You always _were_ such a sound sleeper, Sora…"

**-****_Scene Break_****-**

**Rubhen925: [Thanks to Disney, this scene is blocked. Sorry for the inconvenience, but take your concerns to Disney!]**

**-****_Scene Break_****-**

As morning came, Flynn rode Maximus at top speed across the bridge over the lake, leaving Corona behind and heading for the forest. Suddenly, they both slid to a half as they came upon Team Sora sprawled out in the path.

"The hell?" Flynn hurried over to them. "Sora! What happened? Wake up!"

With a little help from Maximus, Sora was the first to come to, and he quickly roused the others.

"What happened, Sora?" Flynn asked.

"Flynn? …Oh no! Marluxia, a member of the organization we're fighting, used some kind of sleeping pollen to knock us all out so we couldn't interfere in Mother Gothel taking Rapunzel away! Rapunzel's being held prisoner there!"

"I've gathered that so far. Although, from things I've seen, I'm not sure Gothel is actually her mother… Now then! Sidekicks, are you ready to take part in a dramatic rescue mission?"

Grinning, Sora took Flynn's offered hand, getting up aboard Maximus. Goofy settled in behind him. Then, Link focused his power and called upon the Summoning Spell he'd learned. With a flash of light and magic 'smoke', Epona appeared, the faithful mare ready to ride with her master once more. Link, Cure Flora, and Donald hopped aboard, and the two horses then sped off into the forest.

-X-

As the heroes neared the stretch of forest leading to Rapunzel's tower, a horde of Nobodies emerged to bar their path. Sora, Donald, & Goofy leapt off their mounts, but as Flynn & Maximus went on ahead, more Nobodies stopped Link, Cure Flora, & Epona from following. The heroes went on the attack, using slashes, magic blasts, and Epona's bone-crushing kicks to start clearing a path. Donald & Goofy both willed their strength to Sora, whose outfit gained a golden-yellow pattern as he assumed his Master Form, a second Keyblade floating behind him.

Sora led the charge, the heroes never stopping moving forward as they fought, bashing & blasting Nobodies out of their way while hurrying through the forest. Link slashed his blade at a Reaper that tried to attack him & his horse from the side, and Cure Flora mounted behind him blasted it with a flower-shaped energy blast, finishing it off. Dusks fell as Sora carved through them with furious melee barrages and enhanced Firaga & Waterga attacks, with Donald & Goofy running close behind and adding their own attacks to the mix.

As soon as the gang got past the Nobodies and moved through a narrower passage, a horde of Heartless materialized in their way, led by a Chaos Carriage. Link sniped the Bizarre Archers as Epona thundered past them, and when the Chaos Carriage ran alongside the steed and tried to attack, Sora leapt onto its back and used both Keyblades to hack & slash at its head and neck until it collapsed and disintegrated.

They hurried along, passing a team of Parasol Beauties that shot at them as they passed, with Epona trampling one and Sora blasting another with a Firaza shot that burnt the Heartless to a crisp. One tried to pursue, but Cure Flora fired a Rose Tourbillon back at it to knock it away while they hurried onward. A squad of Puffballs got roasted by Sora's Firaga blasts and trampled by Epona, and Link's Gale Boomerang flung a few offending Powerwilds into a pond, the soaking-wet monkey Heartless screeching angrily at the heroes as they sped on by.

Finally, they reached the entrance to the cave leading to Rapunzel's tower. Sora dispelled his Master Form as the heroes ran in.

"We're almost there!" Goofy said.

"Alert!" Fi suddenly chimed in as the heroes ran. "Flynn Rider's vital signs have begun a sudden and rapid decline. It appears that Mother Gothel has fatally wounded him."

"Oh no!" Sora sped up. "Come on, guys!"

"I have devised a hypothesis," the ancient spirit continued, "based on data we have gathered. It is my belief that Rapunzel is, in fact, the lost princess of Corona, kidnapped in her infancy by Gothel, in order to use the healing magic imbued in Rapunzel's hair to maintain her immortal life."

Hearing that, Sora got even angrier; Gothel was just some kidnapping witch who wanted to lock an innocent girl up just to cheat death?

As the gang finally entered the hidden valley where Rapunzel's tower stood, running toward the tower, they saw as the long 'rope' of Rapunzel's golden hair hanging out the window and reaching to the ground suddenly changed color, darkening to a brunette hue.

"It's changing colors?" Cure Flora said. "But that means… it's been cut off!"

"And _that _means…" Donald added.

"Look!" Goofy pointed.

A human figure clad in a dark cloak tumbled out of the open window, and as she fell, the figure seemed to disintegrate.

"Without Rapunzel's magic sustaining her," Link observed grimly, "Gothel has lost her immortality and is returning to her natural age…"

"She's… aged away into dust and ashes…" Sora whispered, shocked.

Suddenly, a mass of Darkness engulfed the cloak and dust that were once Mother Gothel, growing into a huge, swirling orb of purple & black. Then, a figure in an elaborate robe-like uniform with pointed boots, long sleeves, and a menacing silver helmet appeared standing atop the orb.

"Zant!" Link drew his blade.

"Now that the Darkness has consumed this witch," the Usurper King proclaimed, "she is too dangerous to be allowed near our backup plan. Of course, she will still be useful; this monster should do nicely for disposing of you all. And perhaps, to tip the odds further, I'll give her a little… boost."

With that, he plunged a hand glowing with black & golden light into the mass of Darkness. As Zant then warped away, the orb grew a little larger, as dark bronze runes raced across its surface, the corrupted power of Twilight infusing into the beast within.

(BOSS MUSIC: _Kingdom Hearts III _– [Vs. Grim Guardianess / Skӧll / Dark Inferno])

A massive arm burst out of the sphere of darkness, made of dark wood and ending in black-wood claws. Three more such limbs followed, and then a long, thick, snake-like tail. Finally, the mass crashed to the ground with a thud as the darkness receded to reveal the powerful Heartless within, looking like a cross between a tree and a gorgon. A face made of dark wood with intricate and unnerving carvings, with a mouth of jagged wooden 'teeth' beneath two huge glowing yellow & red eyes, with a mane of red leaves. The Grim Guardianess reared back and let out an earth-rumbling echoing roar. As the sky overhead darkened and gained a reddish hue, the grass and shrubs and trees in the area began to turn brown and wither.

"It's killing all the plants?" Goofy looked around.

"If left unchecked," Fi announced, "this enhanced Heartless could sap the life-force out of every plant in the entire kingdom!"

"Then we need to take this abomination out!" Sora replied. "Get ready to go all-out, you guys! This is gonna be a tough one!"

The Grim Guardianess fired a wave of deadly-sharp leaves that forced the heroes to scatter, and then swung one of its huge claws at Link, who was knocked back as he blocked with his shield. Sora and Donald started firing Firaga shots at it, but the beast wove around to dodge most of them and spat out a cloud of toxic pollen, forcing the duo to form Aeroga barriers to protect themselves as they got clear.

Cure Flora rushed in and started bashing the Grim Guardianess with magic-charged blows, until the Heartless flailed its four huge arms and flung her away. The monster then spat out a flock of large crows made of solid Darkness, the bird-shaped summons attacking the five heroes. Link managed to slash away the few coming for him and charged at the G.G., sliding under a swing of its limb and starting to hack and slash, the Master Sword's divine power adding some extra kick against the creature of darkness. The Heartless thrashed around, forcing Link back, and then slammed its head down at the ground, trying to crush the youth. Link barely got out of the way in time, and had to bring his shield up to block the barrage of razor leaves the monster immediately launched at him from its mane.

Sora fired a wave of Ragnarok mana bolts and charged in right behind them, battering the Grim Guardianess with his Keyblade. He then leapt back while firing a Blizzaga shot, while a Goofy Bombardier from above (courtesy of Flora's help) nailed the Heartless in the face, stunning it. Link and Cure Flora, protected by Donald's Aerora barriers, moved in next to land some blows of their own. The G.G. flung its massive tail at them, bashing them away and knocking the Master Sword out of Link's grip. Running in, Sora grabbed the legendary blade, dual-wielding it and his Keyblade as he slashed and stabbed at the monster.

The Grim Guardianess managed to swat Sora away and then rapidly slithered up the tower, coiling its snakelike lower body around the top spire and conjuring a continuous rain of big red spherical explosives (_literal_ cherry bombs). The gang started charging for the tower, aiming to scale it and resume the attack, only for a cage of thorny brambles to shoot up from the earth, trapping the heroes and letting the bombs rain down on them. Donald quickly blasted a hole with Firaga, and Sora hurried through and used magic to run up the side of the tower, dodging falling bombs and closing in on the Grim Guardianess. Leaping high, he struck with a barrage of blows to its face and limbs that made it lose its grip, plummeting down toward the earth. Sora dove down after it, hitting with a slamming strike that left the monster reeling as it crashed down.

Unfortunately, the powerful Heartless wasn't down & out yet. As the others caught up to Sora, the Grim Guardianess conjured several huge flowers with deadly sharp thorny vines. The vines lashed out, trying to ensnare the heroes; Link and Goofy used spinning attacks to bat them away, Sora & Donald protected themselves with Aeroga, and Cure Flora leapt clear and closed in on the enemy, hammering the G.G. with mighty blows. She then leapt back while using the technique that her fellow Cure had taught her, firing a Pink Forte Wave blast at the monster. The flower-shaped blast of Light exploded on impact, blasting the Grim Guardianess back.

Sora and Goofy moved in, swatting their way through the summoned crows that the powerful Heartless set after them. Suddenly, a swing of the Grim Guardianess' arm knocked Sora back, his Keyblade flying out of his grip. However, Link caught it, and – recognizing a chosen hero of a goddess of Light – it did not immediately teleport itself out of his grip and back to its prime owner. Wielding the Kingdom Key in one hand and the Master Sword in the other, he rushed in and started beating the Grim Guardianess around, finishing by hacking off one of its four arms. The beast screeched in fury and tried to crush Link in its jaws, but Donald blasted the monster back with a jet of wind magic, letting Link get distance and return Sora's Keyblade to him.

The Grim Guardianess reared up and roared, holding its remaining limbs forward and opening its massive maw. Black, purple, & bronze energy started sucking in, rapidly building into a steadily-growing orb of dark power that seemed to suck the color out of the light immediately surrounding it. Cure Flora was enveloped in pink light as she transitioned to Elegant Mode, now clad in an elaborate flower-themed ballgown and hurriedly charging magical power in her hands pointed forward. The G.G. fired first, but Cure Flora's counterattack – a tightly focused bright-pink beam of magical power – pushed against the incoming orb of darkness and then burned through it, striking the Heartless in the chest and blasting it backward, doing considerable damage. Then, Cure Flora transferred her remaining Elegant Mode power to Sora & Link; the Master Sword was engulfed in a bright pink glow, while the Kingdom Key assumed a pink-hued variant of its mighty Ultima Form. The two youths charged, letting out matching war-cries as they swung with all their might.

(MUSIC END)

Twin flashes of pink light slashed across the Grim Guardianess' form. The Heartless let out echoing roars as it thrashed and twitched, wisps of Darkness already coming away from it as it tried to hold itself together. Finally, it seized and fell backwards, exploding with enough force to leave a crater as Mother Gothel's tainted Heart floated up and away.

As soon as the gang had recovered, they hurried to scale the tower. As they reached the window, however, they saw a now short-haired and brunette Rapunzel kneeling over Flynn. And it was clear that he was on death's door, already pale with a pool of blood beneath him.

"No…" Cure Flora whispered.

Desperate, Rapunzel placed Flynn's limp hand atop her head, reciting the song meant to activate her healing power. But with her hair cut short, that power was gone.

"Rapunzel…" Flynn whispered weakly. "You were my new dream…"

She sobbed. "And you were mine."

The man smiled, and then he slipped away. Her body shuddering with sobs, Rapunzel cradled the body of the man she'd loved.

"_Heal what has been hurt…_" she whispered. "_Change the Fates' design… Save what has been… lost…_" She choked on a sob. "_Bring back what once… was mine…_"

A tear from her eye landed on the cold, pale cheek… and then glowed with a spark of golden light as it seeped in. After a few seconds, a flower of golden light sprang up over Flynn's fatal stab wound, and tendrils of light curled out to fill the room. Team Sora and Rapunzel watched in awe as a shimmering flower of magic formed over the wound, which rapidly mended, flesh and organs being knitted back together. As the light faded, there was no trace of injury other than the blood staining Flynn's top, and color had returned to him. After a moment, he began to breathe, and his eyes opened to the sight of the girl kneeling over him, tears in her eyes as a wonderful smile began to form.

"Did I ever tell you…" he whispered "I've got a thing for brunettes?"

-_Break_-

At the foot of the tower, they all gathered.

"Wow, Rapunzel!" Sora said. "You're finally gonna get to see your real home."

The young woman smiled, despite looking a little nervous. "I know! I mean… I can't believe it. I can finally be with my real family! I couldn't have done it without your help."

"You're welcome!" Donald replied.

"Well," Flynn spoke up, "from where I'm standing, the Kingdom couldn't ask for a better princess. And I couldn't have asked for better sidekicks! Thanks, all of you."

"Yes!" Rapunzel added. "Thank you all, so much!"

"Now, Flynn," Goofy said, "your and Maximus play nice."

The man and the horse looked at each other in confusion, and then Max grinned while Flynn sighed.

"Fine…" he said.

Rapunzel came up, grabbing his hands in hers.

"You're gonna be great" Sora said with a grin. "We haven't seen the guy controlling the monsters in a while, so that's one less worry."

"But there's still a slight chance that he might still be lurking around" Link added.

"Well, if he comes back and tries to bother Rapunzel again, then Flynn will keep her safe. And _we_ won't be far behind."

"Oh, come on" Donald replied. "Rapunzel's the tough one, if you ask me."

"True" Flynn admitted. "But nevertheless, I won't let her out of my sight."

Rapunzel giggled. "Oh, Eugene…"

"Wait, 'Eugene'?" Sora asked.

"Oh!" the man laughed nervously. "Actually, 'Flynn Rider' is a pseudonym I picked up from a book. My real name's Eugene Fitzherbert. I guess I forgot to tell you guys."

"I think it's a great name!" Goofy said.

"Me too" Sora added. "Nice to re-meet you, Eugene."

"Hey!" Rapunzel piped up. "I thought I was the only one you were going to tell."

"Don't worry" Eugene replied, whispering to her. "I've saved plenty of Fitzherbert-y secrets just for you."

"Hey, what are you two lovebirds talkin' about?" Sora said in an accusatory tone.

"N-Nothing!" they both replied.

"Come on, now" Goofy said. "It's not nice to keep secrets."

"This one is none of your business!" Eugene replied.

Sora grinned. "Maximus, get 'im!"

Flynn turned just as the white stallion 'glared' at him… and while he was distracted, Pascal leapt off Rapunzel's shoulder and wet-willed him. As Eugene flailed around, laughter filled the canyon.

**-****_CHAPTER END_****-**

The reason I made the Grim Guardianess get a power-up in this fic is the same reason that Skӧll will also be a tougher fight than canon: the music. The battle music shared by these two bosses is so foreboding and climactic and epic that it deserves to go with fights that are emotionally/storeline-ily climactic and epic and challenging, with the heroes going all-out to vanquish the awesome-music Heartless they're up against.


	8. Maiden Most Unfair

**SEE CHAPTER ONE FOR (MOST) DISCLAIMERS**

PLEASE READ & REVIEW, AND TEND TO THE TROPE PAGES

**-****_CHAPTER START_****-**

**Realm R38Y – Remnant – Atlas – Schnee Manor Ballroom**

As Weiss fell to the floor, her unrestrained emotions and instinctive desire to protect herself led to her Semblance finally, properly manifesting… out of her control. The ethereal blue & white Boarbatusk snorted before charging at the arrogant, tactless socialite whose comments had set Weiss off in the first place. The woman screamed, cowering, as the Grimm Revenant leapt at her… and a single high-caliber pistol shot tore through the summon, dispelling it. General Ironwood strolled in, looking cross as he holstered his gun.

"Arrest her!" the socialite cried.

"And why should I?" the General glared at the woman, and at the similar people all around. "She's the only one here who's making sense! None of you have _any_ idea of the terror and suffering and death that happened when Beacon fell!" He knelt down in front of Weiss, offering his hand to her and gently helping her up. Jacques opened his mouth to speak, but one glare and brief flaring of Aura from Ironwood shut him up.

"Let's get you someplace a little less _toxic_, Weiss" Ironwood said calmly to the girl while giving another dirty look to the out-of-touch, classist socialites.

As they exited the tension-filled ballroom, walking down the quiet, empty hallway, Weiss took deep breaths to calm herself.

"Thank you, sir" she said softly. "I just… I couldn't…"

"I know" Ironwood replied. "From what I've seen and heard, being back in Atlas, under your father's quote-unquote 'care', is doing nothing but making you miserable. We need to get you out of this place," he smiled, "and back to your _team_."

Weiss looked at him in disbelief. "Really? You'll… actually help me get out of her and back to them?"

The man nodded. "Well, Ms. Belladonna is currently back in Menagerie, reconnecting with her parents and investigating White Fang activity there, but Taiyang's daughters are recuperating and training at their home on Patch. I'll bet they'll be happy to see you again, since they haven't gotten the chance since… well…"

The girl smiled. "Thank you _so_ much for this, General… Will I have time to say goodbye to Klein and my sister first?"

"Yes to the first, but unfortunately Winter's in Anima on assignment. As soon as she returns, I'll tell her everything. Now, lemme just make some calls and we'll get you out of here. A Pelican isn't exactly first-class, but it'll get you where you need to go."

**-****_Scene Break_****-**

The Dimensional Defense Force's presence on Remnant had quite a few effects. They were hard at work shoring up and improving the kingdoms' anti-Grimm defenses, and were also getting a satellite communications network set up to supplement/replace the presently-defunct tower array. Oddly enough, the two places the DDF was presently committing the most attention to were the nations often seen as polar opposites: Atlas/Mantle and Menagerie. In the northern kingdom, the UNSC was overseeing distribution of aid & supplies to Mantle, infrastructure and whatnot, even as they also worked with Atlas to strengthen defenses and come up with contingency plans regarding future threats.

In Menagerie, meanwhile, the DDF were doing what they could to make the Faunus' living conditions a little better, touching up infrastructure and defenses against sea-borne Grimm. In addition, upon hearing that much of Menagerie was "barren desert, full of deadly predators even the Grimm won't mess with, or both", a clan of Krogans delightedly volunteered to colonize that region, and they quickly set about helping Menagerie's Faunus with things as well; they were presently working on designing and building a comm. tower for Menagerie to match the ones that the Four Great Kingdoms had denied the nation decades earlier.

Elsewhere on Remnant, in her private quarters, Sienna Khan grabbed her personal encrypted datapad as a private message appeared on it. Curiously, it wasn't from any of the few people she'd trusted with the datapad's address. She opened the message:

"_To Sienna Khan:_

"_I've heard things about you – that you are a woman who climbed up out from the bottom of the world to claim a well-earned position of power. That you strive to make life better for those under your command and protection, even if you must use means that some people disapprove of. That you, in short, have quite a bit in common with myself. I would like to meet you, perhaps a kindred soul, so that we may discuss matters, get to know each other, and maybe come up with ways to help each other's people find security, prosperity, and above all respect from those who look down upon us. Plus, it'd be nice to have someone new to talk to. Please reply if you are willing to meet me._

_\- Aria T-Loak_"

**-****_Scene Break_****-**

The Gummi Ship set down outside the big, welcoming house in the midst of Patch's forest. Taiyang, Ruby, and Yang (being given a few days' break from her recuperation/training with her dad and Team Guy) came running to investigate. As Sora, Donald, & Goofy disembarked, Ruby reached them first.

"Sora, right?" she asked. "What are you guys doing here?"

"Y'see, that's the thing" Sora replied. "When I let my Keyblade guide us to a world, we don't usually know at first _why_ we've been guided there. Of course, it tends to become pretty clear soon enough."

"Well, that doesn't bode well" Taiyang remarked as he and Yang caught up. "Still everything _seems_ peaceful so far – just the occasional patrol to get rid of any Grimm that stray too close to this place. Actually, Ruby was just about to go on her patrol; how about you three join her, just in case? We can see if Grimm are as vulnerable to that Keyblade of yours as Heartless are."

"Alright" Sora nodded. He then looked to Yang.

"Guy-sensei gives me mandatory resting days after periods of heavy training" the tall blonde said. "I'm not supposed to do any real fighting today, so I'm gonna have to sit this one out. You guys watch out for each other out there, okay?"

"Relax, Yang" Ruby replied. "The worst we should run into is a pack of Beowolves, maybe an Ursa, and with these three helping me that'll be no trouble at all!"

"I'd be careful not to tempt fate…" Donald remarked.

**-****_Break_****-**

The quartet advanced through the woods, on the lookout for any signs of 'darklings' (a catch-all term for Heartless, Unversed, lesser demons, Grimm, and other creatures of darkness). So far, everything was quiet…

"So," Sora started, "how have things been since…"

Ruby sighed. "We've had ups and downs. Dad and Might Guy have been doing what they can to rebuild Yang's confidence as well as train her. The DDF have already got _some_ inter-kingdom communications back up. I've been keeping in touch with Blake; she's back on Menagerie with her mom & dad, and she & Sun are investigating White Fang activity. I haven't heard from Weiss, and… Uncle Qrow told me what kind of person her father is, so I'm worried… Team JNPR are training offworld. And… after she teemed up with Maleficent and Dyspear, dad and Uncle Qrow told me about Salem… I can't believe the Grimm have a leader – a _Queen_… At least, we're lucky that she doesn't have some mystical control over every Grimm everywhere; she has to relay orders to them in the field, like a General, and the younger, dumber, more impulsive Grimm aren't guaranteed to follow her orders to the letter. But she has _people_ working for her, too…"

"And now she's got Maleficent & Pete on her side, along with that despair-witch and _her_ surviving underlings… But hey! At least that gives me & my friends, and the Pretty Cures, free rein to step in and help you guys out against them!"

Ruby smiled a little. "Yeah. I feel better knowing we're gonna have lots of help against them. Oh, and that reminds me! Pretty soon we're supposed to get our own Pokémon! That oughtta be a big help, too!"

Suddenly, the gang heard a howl, followed by several more, all of them close by.

"Those don't sound like normal wolf howls…" Goofy said, readying his shield.

"They're not" Ruby got serious, drawing her weapon. "We've got Beowolves. And they're close."

"How close?" Donald asked, staff in hand.

A Beowulf suddenly leapt down from one of the larger trees, snarling with claws bared, while the rest of its pack emerged from the thicket and charged.

"_That_ close!" Sora shouted as he fired a Blizzara at the lead Grimm, freezing it solid and leaving it to shatter when it hit the ground.

As the rest of the Beowolves closed in, Ruby took the lead, closing in and using Crescent Rose to slash two of the Grimm apart in just a couple seconds. Sora's Strike Raid knocked a Beowolf reeling and took off its arm, and a Fira to the face from Donald finished it off. Goofy's thrown shield ricocheted off trees and Beowolves, stunning the beasts and letting him get in close, catch his shield and use its remaining momentum in a spinning strike that destroyed another Beowolf.

Another Beowolf emerged, almost half-again the others' size and with more bony bits than the smaller ones. The Alpha Beowolf roared and charged at Ruby and Sora, dodging a Fire from him and shrugging off a couple rounds from her. Sora blocked a swing of the Alpha Grimm's claws, giving Ruby an opening to land a few slashes with her scythe. As the Alpha Beowolf was wounded and knocked back by those hits, Sora landed several more blows ending with a Sonic Blade strike, finishing it off. Meanwhile, Goofy and Donald had already dealt with most of the remaining 'lesser' Beowolves.

The gang came together, taking down the few remaining Grimm. Suddenly, Goofy moved into position with his enchanted shield raised, just in time to block a fireball from striking Ruby. The gang went on high alert, looking in all directions, and soon the culprit emerged together with three others: a woman in a red dress with long black hair, a silver-haired young man with a black & silver outfit and armored greaves on his lower legs, and a pair of near-identical figures in oversized green & white tops, with armored thin legs, and odd metallic helmets – one silver with pointed rabbit-like ears, the other gold with rounded ears.

"Cinder and Mercury…" Ruby gasped, gripping her scythe.

"And Dyspear's creepy twin-thing minions, Stop and Freeze" Sora added. "What are _you_ people doing here?"

"Disposing of a threat" Cinder replied. "The power of the Silver Eyes – the power to repulse, petrify, or vaporize the Grimm… Salem doesn't want such a power just running around. The last big-name bearer of that power our people dealt with, decades ago, got her eyes slashed out. But leaving you to live blind and helpless would be too cruel, even for me. So I'm just gonna kill you instead."

"Not if _we_ have anything to say about it!" Donald said angrily, his staff's head glowing with charged magical power ready to unleash.

"Even with the Kingdom Key's bearer and King Mickey's faithful elite…" Stop started.

"It won't matter" Freeze finished. "We'll still do what we came for."

"And hey," Mercury said, "maybe we'll put the Keyblade's Chosen Hero out of commission, too, while we're at it."

The quartet got ready for a serious fight.

"You've come a long way from home just to get your butts kicked" Sora told the villain team.

"Could say the same to you, off-worlder" Mercury replied. "But don't worry; Little Red there is the only one we're _planning_ to kill. Of course, accidents can happen…"

For several seconds, there was stillness as the two 4-man teams stared each other down. Then, Cinder launched a fireball at the heroes which Sora countered with a Watera spell. The woman dove to the side to avoid a shot from Ruby's rifle and fired two arrows at the girl, but a trio of _Sagitta Magica_ from Donald intercepted the arrows with the third bolt heading for Cinder, only for Mercury to kick it away. The silver-haired youth rushed in, striking at Sora with kicks that fired aura blasts from his leg-mounted blasters, pushing Sora back until Ruby rushed in and smashed Mercury back with the broad side of her weapon. Stop and Freeze dashed in to join the fray, only for Goofy and Donald to head them off.

The battle quickly broke apart into two 2-on-2 fights that sporadically interacted with each other – Sora & Ruby vs. Cinder & Mercury, and Donald & Goofy vs. Stop & Freeze. Goofy used his shield to deflect a green pseudo-laser blast from Freeze, redirecting it at Stop, who spun to the side to dodge and to bring himself close enough to lash out with a kick at Donald, who protected himself with Reflect and then zapped the 'Arch-Zetsuborg' with Thundara. He then made to charge a blast of Light magic, but had to abort as Freeze came at him, dodging the other entity's attacks until Goofy bashed Freeze with his shield, forcing the Dys-Dark enforcer back.

Sora swung his Keyblade with enough force that the hot-glass saber Cinder had formed shattered on impact, but she simply leapt back and formed a new one, holding it in one hand while flinging a thin concentrated wave of fire at Ruby with the other. Ruby ducked backwards under it, only for Mercury to punt her in the midsection while she was in this vulnerable position, knocking her at Sora. Sora caught her, however, spinning her around and setting her on her feet in one fluid motion, transmitting the momentum to a slicing wave of Light flung at Mercury. Mercury dodged, taking a grazing hit from the attack's edge that his Aura protected him from, while Ruby landed a few shots on Cinder, chipping away at her Aura defense, before Cinder then shaped some of her supply of (lower-case d) dust into a crude shield that deflected the rest.

As Mercury knocked Sora & Ruby back with a wide spinning kick, Cinder started flinging concussive flame blasts at them. Sora formed a Reflega barrier to protect him & Ruby, but Cinder and Mercury kept pounding at it until it came apart. However, this gave the two heroes a moment to come up with their next moves, and the shimmery refracting effect of the magic barrier made it harder for their enemies to see exactly what they were doing. Thus, as Mercury charged in for a decisive blow the moment the barrier came down, he was caught completely off-guard by Sora slamming a Rasengan into his torso. The resulting grinding attack and then its concussive detonation flung Mercury back with great force and near-totally drained his Aura shield.

Ruby and Cinder rushed each other, scythe and sword clanging against each other, both of them managing some hits and wearing at each other's Auras. Sora moved in, landing a blow that shattered Cinder's forged weapon, and then he struck with a barrage of hits [a 'combo' if we're going by the game], ending with a heavy blow that knocked her back and finally broke her Aura defense. Snarling as her broken Aura flickered around her, Cinder got to her feet and unleashed a bolt of Maiden lightning that knocked Sora off his feet.

As Mercury re-engaged Ruby, Cinder held her left arm out and began charging an explosive fireball of concentrated Fall Maiden power. Grinning wickedly, she tried to decide whether to blast Ruby or Sora first as she poured power into the attack. In the midst of her fight against Mercury, Ruby noticed what was happening and, working on one of the tricks the DDF had taught her, did something the villains didn't expect: she charged Aura into the blade of her scythe and then swung in Cinder's direction, releasing a high-velocity slicing wave of energy spinning at her.

And because Cinder's Aura defense had been broken, when Ruby's slicing energy wave hit, it cleanly sliced her left arm off just below the shoulder. Cinder's look of stunned shock from seeing the slicing wave coming at her didn't have time to change to one of horror and pain before the fireball she'd been charging suddenly and _violently_ destabilized, the resulting fiery explosion engulfing her.

Mercury, Stop, & Freeze turned to look as Cinder was flung sideways with a pained scream. Much of her long hair was singed, and the left side of her upper body was smoldering and charred in places. In particular, the stump of her just-severed left arm had been seared shut and even further damaged by the explosion, and she desperately clutched at the left side of her face with her remaining arm, hand over what was left of her eye.

Immediately, Stop & Freeze disengaged from their fight with Donald & Goofy, hastening to Cinder's side. With Mercury joining them, the two Arch-Zetsuborgs promptly opened a dark-keyhole gateway that all four of them disappeared through, retreating back to Salem's castle.

"Jeez…" Sora looked stunned. "That was _brutal_…"

"She… She tried to keep fighting after her Aura broke" Ruby said, still in shock. "In the Hunter academies, they tell you that if your Aura defense is broken in a fight, you disengage and _run_, because the next hit you take will likely kill you."

"Looks like she never learned that" Goofy replied. "Or maybe she got so sadistic that she forgot."

"Sorry to say," Donald said to Ruby, "but she's probably gonna blame you for what happened – make it personal and come after you for revenge. But with injuries like that, it's gonna be a while before she'll be able to fight again, so at least you'll have time to prepare and train."

Ruby nodded, still a little rattled. "Still… The Keyblade wore through her Aura so fast! That thing packs one hell of a punch, Sora."

'A bit _too_ fast, maybe' Sora thought. 'Usually, I have to put a bit more effort into wearing a regular person down; the Keyblade normally only works _that_ well against creatures of darkness. Cinder looked human, but… maybe she's doped herself with Grimm essence or something…'

"We should probably head back" Goofy suggested. "Your dad and sister need to learn what happened here…"

**-****_Scene Break_****-**

"You _ran into Salem's people_?" Taiyang asked, incredulous and worried.

"Yes, sir" Sora replied. "Salem sent them to kill Ruby because of her Silver Eyes. We fought them off, though. In fact, we managed to do some major damage to Cinder – she tried to keep fighting after her protective shield was worn down and broken, and when Ruby's attack cut her arm off, the fireball she'd been charging blew up in her face. I think Cinder's gonna be out of commission for a while, to say the least."

Taiyang and Yang winced.

"Seems the bad guys are missing a few fundamentals" Taiyang said. "First Taurus' potential weakness, and now one of Salem's big-shots forgetting the 'bug out if your Aura breaks' rule…"

"Wait, what was that first part?" Yang looked at her father, stunned.

"Well, from what I've heard from Blake, and from looking up data from previous sightings, it looks like Adam Taurus is a bit _too_ reliant on his weapon. If a skilled opponent were to disarm him of that sword of his, it'd cut down on his threat level, and probably do a number on his confidence."

He gave Ruby a look when he said this, and the girl blushed and averted her gaze.

"So, what about _me_?" Sora asked.

"Hmm…" Taiyang thought for a moment. "The fact that your weapon is basically a part of you, and you can instantly teleport it back to your hands, or yourself to its position… You could say that your Keyblade is more like a Semblance than a regular weapon. Though, I _do_ hope you've got some skill in unarmed combat, too…"

"The others in the DDF have been teaching me some stuff, yeah."

Suddenly, there was a steadily growing whirr/roar of engines. The gang looked around, soon spotting a UNSC Pelican flying in. The dropship spun around to face its rear hatch toward the house as it set down, and the hatch opened to let a single person step out: a petite white-haired girl in a blue & white dress, carrying a couple suitcases. As the Pelican's copilot helped her down without dropping her bags, a big grin formed on Ruby's face:

"_Weeeeiiiiisss!-!-!_"

Seeing the incoming red blur, Weiss gasped and hastily formed an array of rune-circles that Ruby passed through, decelerating her so that by the time she reached the other girl, the tackle-hug only knocked Weiss back a little instead of bowling her over. Weiss sighed and hugged Ruby back as the red-clad girl talked a mile a minute, while the others all came over.

"Um…" she looked up at Taiyang. "Can I stay here a while? Please?"

The man smiled. "Sure thing. I'm guessing being back with your quote-unquote 'family' wasn't doing you any favors…"

"To put it mildly" the white-haired girl grumbled. "General Ironwood himself declared the whole environment too toxic for me, and sent me out here to rejoin my team."

"I'm _so_ happy you're back!" Ruby cheered. "Oh! Now that you're back with us, we can pick up Blake and all go get Pokémon partners! And then we can help each other train and come up with new tricks, and I can show you around Patch, and we can stay up late, swapping stories, and in the morning… I'm makin' _waffles_!"

**-****_Scene Break_****-**

Back at the Three Sorceresses' castle, Watts and Maleficent were hard at work providing Cinder with badly-needed medical treatment. Her eye was a lost cause, and Salem was going to need to forge a new arm for her, but she would live, and she should recover _most_ of her combat potential. And once she was back on her feet, Watts planned to give her grief about the stupid decision to stay & fight after losing her Aura defense…

"It seems the Keyblade was able to do enhanced damage to Cinder's Aura due to the Grimm essence she used to claim the Fall Maiden's power" Dyspear observed.

"Yes" Salem nodded. "It was a weakness that I failed to foresee, one we'll have to think of a workaround for. And little Rose proved a more capable fighter than we anticipated, even able to extend her Aura itself into a slicing wave…"

"I think she might've picked up on the idea from others in the DDF" Close said. "The tall blonde mage from the Bureau has an attack just like that; maybe Little Red decided to try and copy it."

Salem sighed. "We'll have to be a little low-key until Cinder has recovered some. We'll keep on searching for the other Maidens and the Master of Masters' black box while the DDF focuses their attention on the Seekers of Darkness."

As she nodded, Dyspear looked at an image of the known members of Xehanort & Ganondorf's little group. "That one…" her eyes focused on one of them in particular. "I can't help but get a feeling that there might be more to him than meets the eye…"

She stared at the picture, at the smirking face of Xigbar…

**-****_CHAPER END_****-**

Might come up with a better chapter name in the future…

I just wanna put forth my headcanon regarding Summer Rose in canon: that she and a particularly high-level agent of Salem (maybe one of the best she's ever had?) ended up killing each other in a spectacular final duel. Until/Unless the show reveals otherwise, I'd like to keep on believing that's how Summer died – going down fighting, taking her killer to the grave with her. But since I can't be sure, I made no references to it in this chapter.


	9. The Power of Laughter

**SEE CHAPTER ONE FOR (MOST) DISCLAIMERS**

PLEASE READ & REVIEW, AND TEND TO THE TROPE PAGES

**-****_CHAPTER START_****-**

**Radiant Garden – Ansem's Laboratory**

"What?!" Mickey exclaimed. "We're too late?"

"Yes" Ienzo replied to him and Riku, while Aeleus stood by. "Even would know all about the Replicas from his time as Vexen in the organization. He was recompleted like the rest of us, but he didn't regain consciousness. After Lea left, he must have woken and taken his leave. Aeleus and Dilan went out and turned the whole town upside-down to try & find him."

"No sign of him whatsoever" Aeleus reported. "Nobody in town has seen him, either."

"That's not good…" Mickey fretted.

"What about his research?" Riku asked.

"Unfortunately," Ienzo replied, "his work on the Replicas was incomplete. There may still be documents around, but all of them from well before he made any significant progress."

"Do you have any idea where he might go?" Mickey asked.

"There's no place that could go now that he's human. He has no means of leaving this world."

"The dark corridors…"

"…Are beyond his faculties and mine now."

After a few moments of silence, Riku thought of something. "But not everyone's. What if Even was taken?"

Mickey gasped. "Of course! The Organization could _also_ use the Replicas!"

"To fill out their ranks."

Ienzo and Aeleus shared a look.

"We'd better go tell Master Yen-Sid" Mickey said. "And Sora, and the others, too!"

**-****_Scene Break_****-**

**Keyblade Graveyard**

In the heart of the wasteland, 13 rocky spires stood tall. Atop one of them stood Saïx, looking aside at another black-robed figure.

"Humanity is a precious gift" the Organization's enforcer told the hooded figure. "And yet you desire to return to the Organization?"

"Oh, yes…" the hooded man replied. "Of course. One death at Axel's hands was enough to learn where _not_ to place my trust."

"He gave you a second lease on life."

"He ripped me away from the one thing I care about. I don't require humanity. Give me my research. I must see it to fruition, no matter the cost."

"The Replicas…"

"Yes…" the hooded man chuckled. "Soon they will _replace_, not just replicate. Given a Heart, they can become just as real as any human."

"What excellent tidings" Saïx had the barest hint of a grin. "I would hate to think we invited you back into our ranks only for you to fail to deliver our final vessel… Vexen."

**-****_Scene Break_****-**

Warping down to the new world they'd been led do, the trio of Sora, Donald, & Goofy approached a monolithic building. The disguise magic that let them blend in had put them under a particularly dramatic transformation – Sora was now a werecat-like being with bright red hair, Donald was a blue monster with bat-like wings and a single eye, and Goofy was a green, vaguely frog-like monster with big googly eyes, one blue and one red.

"Seriously?" Sora looked down at his clawed hands/paws. "Is _this_ how we blend in here?"

"It's about time you caught on" Donald replied.

"Could… you guys take a few steps back? You're givin' me the heebie-jeebies."

"_You_ take a step back!"

Goofy chuckled. "Come on, fellers. I think our new look could turn out to be lots of fun!"

Sora shrugged, turning to look at the building ahead. An emblem above the door showed a big letter 'M' with a single eye in the middle of it, and there was a peculiar slogan beneath that:

"'We scare because we care'?"

"That's odd…" Donald remarked.

"Doesn't _sound_ very caring" Goofy added.

"If they look like us," Sora said, "then they could be trouble. I think we'd better investigate."

**MONSTROPOLIS**

As they entered the main lobby of the huge factory, they saw a fearful sight: a big furry blue monster lifting up a little human toddler! The trio ran over, causing the big monster and his friend – a smaller monster with a spherical bright-green body, a great big eye, and little horns – to go on-edge, putting themselves between Team Sora and the toddler.

"Hold on, Sora" Goofy held out his arms to stop his two friends. "Let's not jump to conclusions."

"Are you two planning on scaring or hurting that little girl?" Sora asked, pointed his Keyblade.

"What? No!" the little green monster replied. "We don't hurt kids! And we don't scare 'em anymore, either; we're done using scare power. Nobody's getting' scared!"

"Mike, take it easy" the bigger monster said as the toddler clung to his leg.

"You should too, Sora" Goofy said. "See? She's happy!"

Relaxing, Sora dispelled his Keyblade. "Sorry about the knee-jerk reaction. I was just worried." Coming closer, he knelt down in front of the little girl. "Hello. My name is Sora."

"Boo" the toddler came over.

"She isn't old enough to say her name yet, it seems," the big monster said, "so we just call her 'Boo."

Sora smiled and nodded. "Nice to meet you, Boo."

"Hold on" Mike said. "You guys really aren't afraid of humans?"

"Mike Wazowski!" the toddler pointed at Donald.

The green monster sighed. "Come on, Boo! _I'm_ Mike Wazowski."

The big monster chuckled. "Well, you can see the resemblance. That googly-bear eye…"

"Hmph!" Donald crossed his arms. "I'm Donald!"

"A-hyuck! I'm Goofy!"

"Well, my name's Sulley. And this is-"

"Mike Wazowski" Sora answered. "I gathered that much."

Suddenly, there was a wooshing sound behind them, and Boo's smile fled as she ran to Sulley for protection. Turning, Team Sora saw a sizable pack of Floods spawning in, followed by an enormous rotund _thing_ with four long, spindly legs, two long arms tipped with claws, eyestalks with glowing red eyes, and a dark-purple spiked shell on its back.

"Unversed!" Sora summoned his Keyblade.

"Get Boo to safety!" Donald shouted to Sulley.

"What _are_ these things?!" Mike asked as he & Sulley got Boo behind the front desk.

"They're the Unversed" Goofy replied. "Creatures of darkness, negative emotions given life and form by dark power as deadly monsters!"

"More like _demons_ than monsters, I'd say" Mike said nervously.

"They're living dark emotions?" Sulley asked, stunned. He then shook his head, scowling and baring his claws.

The Floods spread out and attacked from different angles. Sora destroyed a couple with his Keyblade, but the others dodged his swings and fell back, waiting for another chance. Donald zapped some of them with Thundara, while Sully smashed one with a claw-swipe that sent it flying. Suddenly, the Spiked Turtletoad leapt high and tried to body-slam the heroes, who scattered to avoid being squished. It released a damaging shockwave upon landing that knocked Goofy and Mike for a loop, but Donald healed them both as Sora and Sulley started slashing at its face. Sora was flung back by a wild swing of the big Unversed's arms, but he fired a pair of Firaga shots as soon as he landed, taking out one of the monster's eyes.

The Spiked Turtletoad flailed around in anger, inadvertently crushing a couple of Floods, and charged at the heroes. Sora and Donald took position behind Goofy, charging his shield with their & his magic, and when the Unversed hit, it bounced back with a clang, stunned. Sora struck with a withering Ars Arcanum barrage, followed by a close-range Strike Raid that finished the Spiked Turtletoad off. Meanwhile, Sulley & Mike had taken care of most of the remaining Floods, and Donald then blasted the remainder.

"Nice, Sulley" Mike high-fived his buddy. "Even with those extra pounds you put on."

"Heh, still runnin' circles around _you_, butterball."

"Kitty!" Boo popped out of hiding, noticing that it was safe.

"Why would the Unversed show up in force here?" Sora wondered. "We haven't seen much of them recently, compared to the Heartless at least…"

"You guys wouldn't happen to have any 'scream power' still left in storage, would ya?" Goofy asked Mike & Sulley. "The Unversed might've come for _that_ – they could probably use it to make more Unversed!"

Sulley sighed. "We _do_ have some stored that we haven't properly disposed of yet, yeah. Those things… they felt _evil_. I'm not keen on the idea of them getting hold of our old scream power and using it to reproduce."

"So, you guys came here trackin' these things down?" Mike asked.

"There's a group of bad-guys using dark creatures for various purposes," Sora replied, "and the Unversed are one type of their minions. In fact, two of the bad-guys' members are 'Unversed Lords' – the inherent Darkness of two other people's Hearts & souls, ripped out and made manifest as separate beings of pure darkness. They're probably here to steal your old 'scream power' and use it to make more Unversed."

"Which means that one of those two – either Vanitas or Karidé – might be here, too" Donald added. "They're both super-dangerous – murderous, cruel and sadistic, and really powerful!"

Sulley's expression hardened. "Then we can't have them skulking around in my factory. Mike and I will do whatever we can to help. But, if things are gonna get that dangerous around here…"

"Then we really should get Boo home safe before stuff kicks off" Mike finished.

"So, how are you going to do that?" Sora asked.

"It's kind of a long story, but Boo's from another world. And we gotta send her back there, to keep her safe. See, we got this great big array of doors that we can use as portals, each one leadin' to a different kid's room…"

Sora nodded. "Okay, then. We'll help. The Unversed might cause more trouble before we can get Boo to her portal, so we'll come with you guys as extra security. That way we can focus on taking out the Unversed."

Sora and Mike shook hands. Boo then ran off, with Mike & Sulley happily play-chasing her.

"You always gotta help…" Donald remarked.

"Hey, they need us" Sora replied. "Besides, we've gotta figure out how all those Unversed got here."

Sora, Donald, & Goofy followed Mike, Sulley, & Boo down the main hall.

"So," Sulley explained, "Monsters Incorporated used to rely on scream power from human kids as energy, but now we 'collect' their laughter instead. It turns out laughter's ten times more powerful. And we'd never have figured it out without Boo."

As he followed Boo onward, Goofy turned to Sora. "_Our_ ship's powered by smiles and laughter, too! Guess we've got that in common."

As they entered the door-room, however, they were met by the sight of numerous Unversed – Floods along with a new kind that looked like a vine or snake with a flower for a head – traipsing about and messing with the door controls. A Flood would open a portal-door, go in and scare the human child inside, and absorb that fear energy, boosting its power and storing the energy up for later reproduction.

As Sulley helped Boo find a place to hide, Team Sora charged in and got to work. Fira blasts from Sora and Donald took out a couple of Flowersnakes, and a shield-throw from Goofy destroyed a few Floods. As more Unversed spawned in, they included two Turtletoads – about half the size of the Spiked Turtletoad from the main lobby, their shells thinner and not spiky. One of them rushed at the heroes, and Sulley planted his feet and caught the charging best, straining as he brought it to a halt. It tried to skewer him with its claws, but Goofy smacked the incoming blows aside while Sora pounded the Unversed with heavy Keyblade strikes. Sulley then lifted the beast up & over, slamming it to the ground head-first, finishing it off.

Mike and Donald took on more of the Floods and Flowersnakes, the little green cyclops grabbing a snake-like Unversed and using it as a flail against its fellows. Donald caught several Floods in a Zero Gravira spell, and then reversed the spell to slam them down to the floor with bone-crunching force, splatting them all. Sora & Goofy hit the other Turtletoad with a Goofy Bombardier, knocking it senseless, and then they & Sulley beat it around until it leapt and tried to body-slam them, forcing them back. When it tried again, Sora blasted it with Blizzaga mid-leap, leaving it to partially shatter itself when it hit the floor, leaving it easy pickings for a quick series of blows from Goofy.

Once the last Unversed were vanquished, Mike pulled out a card and ran amongst the portal-door mounts, sliding it through and calling in a few doors on a hanging conveyor track.

"Ride's here!" he said. "Climb aboard and hang on tight!"

After Sulley grabbed Boo, everyone climbed onto one of the three doors. As they all rode the doors back through the gateway into the main door storage area, they didn't notice a cloaked figure watching them go…

With Sora riding the lead door, he noticed as suddenly a pair of Vermillion Sambas spawned in up ahead; so the Heartless were here, too… Leaping up top, he used magic to grind along the rail while firing magic blasts from his Keyblade. As they sped along the track, more of the 'magic music' Heartless types started spawning in, and Sora did his best to shoot them down before they could do the same to him.

They jumped off at an interchange station, with Mike running over to a door leaning against the far wall. Unfortunately, the portal was offline, and what's more, a pack of Soldiers and Vermillion Sambas spawned in behind them.

"Sora, we gotta make Boo laugh to open the door" Mike explained.

Sora flung his Keyblade in a Strike Raid that took out a Soldier, then warped himself to his weapon and lashed out with a spinning strike that destroyed two more. Watera spells from Donald quickly disposed of the red floating Heartless, but then some Marine Rumbas spawned in instead, flinging water blasts right back at the mage. Sulley and Goofy smashed a few more Soldiers, while Mike leapt onto a Marine Rumba and rode the Heartless around as it tried to shake him off, making it fire Water spells at its fellows.

A few Large Bodies spawned in, the rotund Heartless wading in and swinging with their big meaty fists. Sulley got into a sumo match with one, while Sora danced around another and dealt repeated blows to its back. As Sulley overpowered his opponent, he swung the big Heartless around and tossed it at some of the smaller ones, knocking them all away. Team Sora added their own strikes, herding the Heartless into one place. Then, the youth grinned as he picked Mike up, spun him around, and rolled the screaming monster at the Heartless, slamming into them all and knocking them every which way.

"Strike!" Goofy called.

As Boo laughed with glee at the spectacle, the light over the portal-door came on. Sulley opened it up, and everyone jumped through. Emerging at another interchange spot inside the enormous factory chamber, Sulley caught sight of Boo's door amongst the hundreds being ferried around. Everyone grabbed hold of some doors, with Sora then magic-grinding atop the rail, shooting at Heartless as they went.

Catching sight of Boo's door, Sora made a leap for it, only to miss and land on a lower rail. Eventually they made it to another interchange spot, with more Heartless waiting for them. Sora fired a Ragnarok barrage that took out most of the weaker Heartless, while Goofy & Sulley worked together to hurl the leading Large Body over the ledge. They quickly found another portal-door, this one already online, and passed through to emerge in the factory's lower level.

"Boo's door should be right around here somewhere" Mike said.

They proceeded through the area, eyes open for any attackers, and soon they found Boo's door leaning against a far wall. Sulley passed through, followed by everyone else, Goofy closing the door behind him. …And then a six-limbed snakelike purple monster with a wicked grin de-cloaked from his position clinging to the door, quickly slipping inside after them…

As the gang emerged from the door, they found themselves not in the little girl's room, but in another section of Monsters Inc.'s lower levels.

"Wait," Mike said, "how'd we take a wrong turn?"

"Who cares?" a new voice said, decloaking and looking at the group with a smug grin. "All that matters… is that it's the last turn that you losers are ever gonna take."

"Randall!?" Sulley growled.

"Who's this guy?" Sora asked.

"A creep we banished for trying to collect screams by force. He used to be Boo's scarer."

"How did you even get back here?" Mike asked angrily. "The door we sent you through is sawdust!"

"Yeah," Randall glowered, "and I almost got turned into some hillbilly's wallet. Lucky for me, a real nice guy came along and fixed the door. So here I am. And starting today, I'm _numero uno_! Top of the leaderboard, baby."

"Ha! You, a top laugh collector? In your _dreams_, Randall. My laugh totals are off the charts."

"Who said anything about collecting _laughs_? I'm after _negative_ emotions, and my new friends have kindly invaded the factory to get 'em for me."

"So you're working with the Unversed?" Sora brandished his Keyblade.

"Laughter's just not sustainable. Once junior chorts his last chortle, you've gotta start over. But negative energy? Especially sadness? Give 'em something that really breaks their little hearts, and they'll stay sad forever. We'll never have to worry about energy again."

"We're not gonna let you hurt _anyone_ like that! Not you _or_ your little Unversed helpers!"

"Just try and stop me. You'll see soon enough. I'm gonna be a _legend_ around this place. Now, consider _your_ careers officially over."

With that, he vanished, cloaking and scurrying away. As the gang looked around for any signs of him, they suddenly heard Randall's voice over the intercom.

"_We're in control of this factory now. And I suggested a few improvements – some real doozies I just know you're gonna love. In fact… you're not getting out of here alive…_"

"That weasel means business!" Mike said. "He'll never quit."

"We have got to get Boo to safety first" Sulley said. "_Then_ we can take care of Randall."

Sora took the lead as they all started heading through the factory. As they rounded a corner, they were met by a new kind of Heartless – looking like a combination of a shovel and a pogo-stick. The 'Pogo Shovels' hopped around, trying to land shovel-first on the heroes' heads, but Goofy's shield and Donald's Reflect bounced them off, letting Sora's Keyblade and Sulley's claws make short work of them. A few bat-like Flutterings tried to ambush the group, but Donald's Thundaga put them down quick.

Heading up some stairs and into a more spacious area with a conveyor belt slowly moving machinery along, the gang were surprised when the robot arms meant for assembly suddenly started shooting lasers at them.

"This must be what Randall meant by 'improvements'…" Sulley sighed, holding Boo.

"It's nothing we can't handle" Sora said. "We'll go on ahead, find the control panel for these things and shut them down so you guys can bring Boo through."

Sora, Donald, & Goofy made their way up the conveyor belt, using the machine parts on the belt as cover to avoid the lasers. Eventually they reached the other end, with Goofy finding and shutting down the control panel. As Mike, Sulley, & Boo caught up, Sora used his Keyblade to unlock the next door onward.

"_Yeah, well, that was just a warm-up_" Randall tried to save face. "_The real fun's just starting!_"

The hallway led to a storage room for scream/laugh canisters, with several Unversed led by a Turtletoad waiting. Sulley leapt in with a shockwave stomp that took out a couple of Floods & Flowersnakes, while Sora and Donald blasted the Turtletoad with Firaga shots followed by a Firaza that incinerated it. Mike was used as a bowling ball again, flattening some more of the little Unversed, and Goofy finished off the stragglers.

Rounding a corner, they reached a large elevator that had no power flowing to it.

"Now how do we get out of here?" Sora wondered. "I don't exactly feel like climbing all the way up…"

"Okay!" Mike said. "We know what to do."

He started looking around, and then grinned when he spotted a room marked by a sign that read "Painting Booth".

"Uh, Mike?" Sulley spoke up. "How's that supposed to help?"

The little cyclops grinned, waving his big friend over and whispering in his ear. Sulley chuckled.

"Heh, that's _good_!"

"Yep, take it away!"

"Nice try, Mikey" Sulley grabbed him as he tried to slink away. "I'm not doin' this alone!"

Sulley carried the protesting Mike into the booth. As the doors shut and the lights inside came on, Team Sora and Boo watched quietly, confused. Soon the bell rang, the doors slid open, and Mike & Sulley came back out… covered in blue and pink body-paint in a psychedelic pattern. Boo started giggling, joined by Team Sora's chuckles, and the elevator lit up, its gates opening.

"Nice work, guys!" Sora gave a thumbs-up.

Everyone got aboard the lift, letting it carry them up to a higher floor of the factory. Boo took off running, with the concerned monster duo in pursuit, Team Sora bringing up the rear. Boo led them into a room with some pipes carrying water around… and as Mike & Sulley walked underneath, one of the pipes burst, drenching them both and washing off the bodypaint.

"Aw, that paint was kinda growin' on me" Sulley 'complained' with a little grin.

"Speak for yourself, this is _way_ better" Mikey replied.

Sulley responded by shaking himself dry like a dog, getting his friend even wetter. Suddenly, a pack of Water Core spawned in! Sulley snatched Boo up, they & Mikey falling back while Team Sora came forward.

"We've got Heartless here, too?" he said as he zapped one with Thundara.

"Probably givin' the Unversed a little extra muscle to work with" Goofy suggested as he shielded against a water-missile and smacked a charging Water Core in the face, knocking it senseless.

"Let's hope the Nobodies don't join in" Donald said as he froze a Water Core with Blizzaga, letting a couple strikes from Sora shatter it.

With Mikey watching Boo, Sulley leapt in and landed atop a low-flying Water Core, slamming it to the ground and crushing it. Sora and Donald cast Thundaga to stun and weaken the remaining Cores, killing a couple of them, and Sora's Strike Raid and Goofy's shield-throw took them out. Mike & Boo caught up, and the heroes moved on down a corridor, up some stairs and over a catwalk, into a large storage room.

The doors behind them suddenly slammed shut, and several Gold Beats spawned in, using their magic to electrify the walls and some of the storage crates. Some Soldiers and a Turtletoad spawned in as well, and Sora leapt down into the fray, flinging a Strike Raid that took out one of the flying electric Heartless. Another Gold Beat flew at him while swinging its bladed solid-magic chains, but Donald protected him with a Reflera shield, while a shield-throw from Goofy swatted the Heartless out of the air.

Sulley crushed a couple of Soldiers with his claws, while Mikey got the Turtletoad's attention, distracting it so Donald could blast it in the backside with a Firaga shot that left it yelping and hopping around. Sora struck with a Sonic Blade attack that finished the big Unversed off, and Mike & Sulley dealt with the remaining Shadows. Donald hit the remaining Gold Beats with a Zero Graviga spell, bringing them down into range for Sora & Goofy to beat around and destroy. With the mage Heartless gone, the electrified barrier surrounding the area dispelled.

The next gate led into another conveyor area with laser-arm robots going haywire. Like last time, the local trio stood back while Team Sora made their way through the deadly obstacle course, using machinery as cover. At the end of this conveyor, a short hallway led to another laser-lined conveyor belt that went upward. After some harrowing close calls, they reached the upper level and deactivated the lasers' control panel, letting Sulley, Mike, & Boo make their way up to join them.

"_All right, I'll give you that one_" Randall taunted. "_But no more freebies._"

The group hurried down the next corridor, reaching a spacious room with some terminals and boxes. Sulley ran ahead to the next door, which was locked tight.

"Once we get through here, we're clear" he said.

"Yup!" Mikey ran to a huge and complicated control terminal. "This is the central control unit for the whole factory! Now whaddaya say we get outta here?"

He turned to the terminal, typing in commands, but after a few seconds he growled and pounded the terminal.'

"Damn! Randall must have messed this up. Nothin' works!"

"We can't get out?" Donald asked.

"Maybe it would be faster to just break it" Goofy suggested.

"Hang on!" Sulley ran over, carrying Boo. "Think I've got a better idea. If we can just short it out, the lock will disengage. And, lucky for us, Boo here is a walking energy generator."

"Hmm… That might work!" Mike said.

Sora grinned. "You're our MVP, Boo!"

Sulley held Boo up atop his head and started running around, with Sora and Mike joining in. Suddenly, Mike tripped, and Sora accidentally kicked him. Sailing through the air, the little cyclops landed on his knees in a flourishing pose… and then Sora's Keyblade clonked him on the head. Boo laughed with glee, her giggles making the control panel start to short-circuit, sparks racing across it.

But then, a pack of Unversed spawned in – Floods, Scrappers, and a Spiked Turtletoad. As Sulley got Boo to safety, Sora flashed blue as he took his Wisdom Form. Skating around on magic, he started blasting the Unversed with enhanced Fire, Blizzard, and Thunder blasts, taking out most of the Floods and some of the Scrappers quickly. He then poured his remaining Wisdom Form stored power into a powerful blast of mana fired at the Spiked Turtletoad, the explosion of Light knocking it end over end.

As Sora reverted to his normal state, Goofy and Sulley hurried in and started pounding the big Unversed until it spun to knock them back, righting itself. Wounded, the Spiked Turtletoad leapt high and tried to body-slam the group, but Donald zapped it with Thundaga, making it lock up and fall right down on three Scrappers, crushing them. Sora finished the big Unversed off with several heavy blows to its head, while Sulley and Donald dealt with the remaining Scrappers.

"We need a bigger burst of laughter…" Mikey said, looking at the control panel. "Man, all my best jokes'll fly right over the head of a 2-year-old…"

Goofy gasped as he came up with an idea. "Sora! Let's do the Funny Face Special!"

"Huh?" Sora rubbed at his head. "Whaaaat? Ugh, if you insist…"

Crouching down in front of Boo, Sora bowed his head and (drumroll, please…) raised it with an "_Eeeeeee~!_" with eyes rolled upward. Boo started giggling again, and this time everybody joined in. The toddler jumped with joy, giggling like mad, and the control panel glowed and sparked with overflowing power. With a ding, the big door unlocked, and everyone headed toward it…

"Sora's aimin' for your job" Sulley joked to Mike.

"You boys aren't gonna leave without saying good-bye, are you?"

Hearing Randall's sudden voice right behind them, they spun and got ready to fight, glaring at the smirking purple snake-thing.

"Give it a rest, Randall" Mikey said. "You're not gonna get away with this."

"We'll stop anything you throw at us" Sulley added.

"Maybe you will" Randall replied. "Or then again, maybe you won't. I've still got an ace up my sleeve."

"What sleeve?" Goofy asked. "You're nekkid."

Growling, Randall turned to a big, oddly-shaped casing in the corner. "I command you to destroy them!" he shouted at it.

Nothing.

"Huh?" Randall scurried over to it. "Hey! Come on!"

"Looks like your ace is a joker" Mike remarked.

"What a pile of junk!" Randall kicked the thing. "It was supposed to be a big nasty creature that would kill you all! Ugh, I got ripped off!" He started scurrying away, mumbling under his breath. Sora went to chase after him, but Sulley grabbed him.

"Ah, just leave him" he told Sora. "I don't think he can cause us any more trouble." He looked down at the toddler clinging to his leg. "Besides, we gotta focus on getting Boo home. Boo's door has to be somewhere in the vault. If we head outside and go through the power station, we can get to the door vault that way. Follow me!"

As the group took their leave, the big gate closing behind them, a black-robed figure appeared in the previous area. He extended a hand at the inert mass of metal, and black sludge began to ooze out of it…

-_Break_-

Moving down a brick-walled hallway, the heroes were beset by a few Pogo Shovels with a pair of Marine Rumbas. Sora started blasting the two flyers with Blizzara shots, while Sulley's claws and Goofy's shield beat the hopping Heartless around. Continuing on, they encountered some Flowersnakes clinging to the walls & ceiling and shooting poison blasts at them. Donald protected the gang with Reflera, and Sora blasted the living 'turrets' with Fire blasts until they were all dead.

The next bend led them outside… and they were met by the smoke and heat of a massive fire raging throughout the factory. As Sulley & Mike stared in horror, a helicopter flew overhead, trying to dump fuel-retardant foam on one of the blazes, only for shots from the Unversed below forcing it to break off.

"We gotta get to Boo's door…" Sulley said.

They hurried down the fence-lined walkway, bulldozing through a pack of Pogo Shovels as they went. In the next wider area, some of the monsters in hazmat suits were trying to put out the fires, but were under attack by Unversed – Red Hot Chilis and Floods being led by a Spiked Turtletoad. Sora used Mike as a bowling ball, flattening most of the Floods, while Donald started blasting the flyers with Blizzard and Water spells.

Sulley dove to avoid a charging tackle from the Spiked Turtletoad, narrowly avoiding its flailing spiked arms. The beast roared and prepared to try again, but then a Monsters Inc. security chopper flew into the area, firing missiles at the creature. Stunned and wounded by the hits, the Spiked Turtletoad was ganged up on by Team Sora, an Ars Arcanum finishing it off. With the Red-Hot Chilis neutralized, Donald started casting Water spells at some of the fires. Soon the area was cleared and the fires contained, and the hero team moved on.

As they advanced, a small team of Soldier Heartless tried to bar their path, but a charging tackle from Sulley hurled them into the walls, letting Donald & Goofy finish them off. A flock of Flutterings infested the next stairway up, but Sora & Donald bombarded them with Thundara shots until they were all crispy critters. On the next level up, another catwalk led to an open area populated by Flowersnakes, Mandrakes, and a pair of Turtletoads. The security helicopter from earlier was still overhead, accompanying the hero gang and lending its fire to the cause; stun grenades from monster troopers inside left the Turtletoads reeling, letting Sora & Goofy take one out with a Goofy Bombardier.

Donald used Zero Gravity to uproot a few Mandrakes, letting Mike and Goofy take care of them. The other Turtletoad swallowed a pair of Flowersnakes which then changed into living 'turrets' mounted on its back, firing poison shells at the heroes while the big Unversed tried to crush them. Donald charged magical power and unleashed a Blizzaza spell that froze the compound Unversed solid, letting a couple rockets from the security chopper shatter them. Sora used a few Strike Raids to finish off most of the remaining Unversed, with Sulley grabbing the last Mandrake and chucking it over the fence to plummet to its death.

In the next area, some monster troopers threw down some ropes, letting the heroes climb upward to the next level (thankfully they moved on before they got a chance to see Boo). Sora led them up a thick pipe, and at the top they were accosted by Gold Beats with a Green Requiem supporting. Goofy quickly beaned the healer Heartless with a shield throw, letting Sora swat it out of the sky, while Donald fired firework-rockets at the electric Heartless to shoot them down.

Going up a spiraling catwalk, the gang sky-dived down to an open-roofed storage area, Sora & Donald using magic to slow their & everyone else's falls. Outside in another courtyard, a pack of Flame Cores with Soldier support was waiting. As the gang rushed in, a fire-control helicopter hovered overhead, turning its water cannons on the fiery Heartless, stunning and weakening them. Sora and Donald blasted the Flame Cores with Watera and Blizzara spells to finish them off, while Sulley and Goofy made short work of the Soldiers, bashing and smashing.

As the heroes made to press on, however, several small explosions caused several huge pipes to collapse, blocking off their way forward. However, Boo pointed out a particularly huge pipe that looked like it would make a perfect ramp.

"Wait, the only place that pipe leads to is the cooling tank!" Mike said.

"Don't worry, Mike" Sulley said. "Just trust me."

They went up the pipe, following the pathway and ending up inside a huge empty cooling tank. As they entered, a Spiked Turtletoad with several Flowersnake 'turrets' dropped down from above. Inhaling air to inflate itself, it started bouncing around, trying to squish them, while its living turrets fired globs of poison. Sora released a wave of Ragnarok bolts that crashed against the big Unversed's armored shell, destroying most of the Flowersnakes clinging to it, and a Thundaga from Donald took care of the rest. The Spiked Turtletoad charged at them, flailing its spiked arms, but Sulley slid forward, ducking beneath the Unversed and slashing at its unarmored underside. The beast roared and tried to hit him, and Sora leapt onto its head and drove his Keyblade down into its skull, killing it.

With the area clear, Sulley ran over to where some barricades were against the wall. "I'm pretty sure Maintenance hasn't finished patching it up" he said.

He pulled one of the barriers aside, revealing a hole in the side of the tank. As they entered the factory area beyond…

"Wait a second…" Mike looked around. "It's the door vault!"

"Yep" Sulley grinned. "What'd I tell ya?"

"Sure, nice job, Sull. Seriously, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you actually ran the place!"

"Thanks, Mikey. All right, it's not much farther."

They took an elevator down, and a pack of Floods and Shadows emerged. The little enemies' ability to meld into the floor made dealing with them a little tricky, but they posed little threat and were quickly eliminated. As they passed over a catwalk to avoid a fire, they started down a passage leading to the door vault…

"Eww…" Donald looked at the trail of black sludge along the floor. "Watch your step!"

"What _is_ this stuff?" Sulley wondered. "Doesn't look like oil…"

"Wanna bet it'll lead to something that'll try to kill us?" Mikey said.

Once inside the vault, the trail of black goop continued along the same path they were traveling along. They entered a wider area with a doorway leading into the main vault chamber.

"Everybody look for Boo's door" Sulley said.

Suddenly, they heard soft cackling as a familiar purple monster skulked out.

"Randall…"

"Didn't you learn your lesson with that pile-of-junk fiasco?" Mike asked.

Randall grinned, tenting his fingers. "Oh, I learned a _lot_…"

He stepped aside, revealing the odd metal contraption from before. As Mike smirked and walked over to it, an Unversed symbol suddenly appeared on the circular teal display on it.

"Wait, Mike!" Sulley shouted as Team Sora headed over. "Something's different!"

"Oh, _please_" the cyclops scoffed. "It's just more junk."

(BOSS MUSIC: _Kingdom Hearts III _– "Unforgettable (KH3 Version)")

Perched on a higher platform, Randall started laughing. Mike made to say something… and then he heard a gooey sound behind him. He and the others turned, and saw a mass of purple & black sludge flowing out of the pile of 'junk'. The mass rose up, the metal parts opening and shifting, and soon the whole mass had taken the form of a huge blob monster with a great big glowing red maw, dripping arms of goo, metal armor, and multiple scream canisters stuck into it. As Mikey stumbled back while Team Sora got ready for battle, Sulley stepped up and helped his friend to his feet.

"Mike," he said, "time to reach down and let the scary out."

"Finally…" Randall smirked. "This is exactly what I needed to take over the company. But first, I am getting rid of _you_. Attack!"

The 'Lump of Horror' opened its 'mouth' wide and started spitting fire blasts. Everyone scattered to dodge, with Sora and Donald returning fire with Firaga shots, the Unversed's gooey body sizzling where they hit. The Lump of Horror lunged forward, swinging its claws at them; Goofy protected Mike, while Donald ducked under a swing and countered with a concussive wave of magical force that knocked the monster back, letting Sora get a few hits in.

The Unversed sank its arms into the ground, and trails of sludge extended out and took the form of a half-dozen shadow-sludge arms reaching up from the ground all around it. As everyone tried to dodge the arms trying to swat them, Goofy threw his shield in a boomerang toss, its sharp edge cutting through four of the limbs. Following his lead, Sora used a Strike Raid to sever the rest, and then Sulley threw Mike at the Unversed's face, hitting it right between the eyes. Unfortunately, it didn't do much, and the Lump of Horror responded with a high-speed tackle that sent both monsters flying.

As Donald used healing magic on Mike & Sulley, Sora & Goofy struck with their old "Whirli-Goof" combination attack, battering away at the Lump of Horror's blobby body. The Unversed shifted its form, stretching upward to take the shape of an upside-down teardrop atop a thin 'stalk' of goo, with two huge bat-like wings extending to the sides. The Lump of Horror flapped its wings to generate a powerful whirlwind that blew Sora & Goofy away, and more goo-arms reached up from the ground, trying to grab and swipe at the heroes. Sulley took out a few with his claws, while Donald froze some with Blizzard blasts so Sora, Goofy, & Mikey could shatter them. Sora then started bombarding the main body with magic blasts, capped off with a Ragnarok barrage.

Shifting back to its shorter, stockier form, the Lump of Horror spat out more fireballs at the heroes, who hunkered down behind Sora & Donald's Reflega barriers. Sora started throwing Strike Raids at the Unversed, beating it back, and Donald zapped it with Thundaga, stunning it long enough for Sulley to leap in with a shockwave stomp. The Lump of Horror swatted Sulley back, charging at him afterward, but Donald then charged magic and blasted the beast with a Flare spell, the crimson explosion of fire magic stunning the Unversed and letting Sora & Goofy land a Bombardier attack.

As the Lump of Horror shifted to its winged form again, accompanied by multiple sludge-arms reaching up from the ground, Sora was enveloped in gold as he assumed his Master Form. He floated about, using his twin Keyblades and enhanced magic to carve through the numerous arms, and then started hacking and blasting at the Lump of Horror itself. The beast roared, flinging fire blasts and razor winds at him, but he kept dancing around its attacks and returning fire, chipping away at it. The others pitched in, Sulley and Goofy attacking its body-stalk while Donald blasted the 'head' with various spells. Finally, Sora blasted the Lump of Horror with a Thundaza spell, stunning it, and used that opportunity to charge up a mass of golden light. Just as the Unversed shook off the electrical stunning effect, Sora fired.

As the blast crashed into the Lump of Horror's body, burning into it, it roared and tried to push back. But then Sora launched himself at it, Rasengan in hand, and pushed the spiraling sphere of energy into the blast of Light, absorbing and melding with the magical energy. The supercharged attack then bored deep into the Lump of Horror and then detonated with incredible force. The goo monster's body was blown into hundreds of pieces that flew every which way, covering the area. All the scattered goo then began to evaporate away into particles of Darkness, the leftover metal bits rusting away and disintegrating as well.

(MUSIC END)

As everyone stood down, Randall scurried over to where his precious trump-card had once been. Meanwhile, Mike noticed a portal-door leaning against a far wall: the door that Randall had been banished through last time, repaired by dark magic. He signaled to Sulley, who grinned and came up behind Randall. The snake turned around just as the big blue monster roared right in his face.

Screaming, Randall scurried frantically away from Sulley… and right over to Sora, who grabbed him and hauled the struggling, cursing monster over to the door Mikey was holding open. With a heave, Sora chucked Randall through the door, which Mike immediately closed. Then, he raised his Keyblade and fired a thin beam of light at a glowing keyhole that appeared on the door. With a locking sound, the door began to float upward, and then disintegrated into motes of light.

"And that takes care of that" Donald said.

**-****_Scene Break_****-**

Riding Boo's door into the main portal room, everyone hopped off as the doors settled into their mounts. Suddenly, they heard footsteps approaching. Turning, they saw someone in the Organization's black cloak, leading to Team Sora immediately going on guard.

"Gotta say," Vanitas said as he lowered his hood to reveal his helmet, "you did a little better than I expected, Sora. I thought my newest creation would last a little longer against you. Well, at least it gave me time to finish gathering what I needed."

He pulled out a surplus scream canister.

"Vanitas" Sora growled. "I figured either you or Karidé were involved in all this."

"This whole place used to be powered by scream. And even though they've switched over, they still had plenty of sadness and fear in storage for me to make into more Unversed. That little cretin, blinded by petty revenge, was a useful pawn, too."

"So _you_ helped Randall find his way back here!" Mike accused. "And you had your little demons tear our factory apart!"

"Useful diversions" Vanitas replied. "Now that I've got what I came for, my business here is concluded. I've even got quite a bit of scream energy left over; I can use it for creating my next big masterpiece of an Unversed. …Though, I'll need a little anger and hate for the finishing touches, too; you can't run a rampaging berserker on fear alone. Now then, my Unversed have finishing spiriting away as many scream canisters as they can carry, so I should be going~."

"You really think we're just gonna let you leave!?" Sora charged.

Vanitas raised his Keyblade to block Sora's, and Donald circled around and fired a Blizzaga at the Unversed Lord. The black-clad youth leapt back to dodge, flinging a Dark Firaga at the royal mage, only for Goofy's shield to deflect it. He then flash-stepped behind Sora, aiming for the hero's neck, but then Sulley crept up behind and let out a terrifying roar that actually staggered Vanitas, leaving him open for the big blue monster to grab. As Vanitas tried to struggle free, Mike held open a portal-door, letting Sulley chuck him through. Sulley then grabbed that door and tossed it through a second door, then that one through a third, and then they hurried that door over to the woodchipper, shredding it.

"First Randall, then this guy…" Mike said. "We gonna make a habit outta tossin' bad guys through doors?"

"I hope not" Sulley replied. "Replacing doors we get rid of that way will get expensive after a little while!"

"Thanks for the save" Sora said as he & his friends came over.

"No, we should be thanking _you_" Sulley replied. "We never woulda managed to get Boo this far if you hadn't come along to help."

"And finally, we found her door!" Mike added.

Sora walked over to the still-celebrating child. "Boo, I know how excited you were to come play with Mike and Sulley. Sorry we dragged you into this."

"Okay Boo," Sulley came over, "time to go."

"Kitty…" the toddler said sadly.

"We'll catch up soon, kid" Mike told her.

Sulley led the little girl through the portal-door back to her bedroom, with Team Sora giving her one last funny face.

-_Break_-

"Sorry for all the headaches we caused" Sora told Mike & Sulley.

"Eh, don't mention it" Sulley replied. "And actually, it was kinda nice havin' a little adventure for old times' sake."

Mike nodded. "Yeah, the flying and the falling – and hey, let's not do that paint thing again – but nothin' like running for our lives to get the heart pumping!"

"I had a great time here!" Donald said.

"Donald," Sora replied, "all you did was complain!"

"I did not!"

"Any chance that we could drop by again?" Goofy asked.

"The door's always open for ya" Mike replied.

"And maybe Boo can join us!" Sulley added.

-_Break_-

Sitting atop a lamppost in another world, Vanitas rested his helmeted head on his hand.

"I'm going to kill him…" he muttered. "Slowly, painfully. _No-one_ manhandles Vanitas and gets away with it." He sighed. "But, the old man has stuff for me to do first; I'll have to go get revenge after this whole business is sorted out. Now then, perhaps I'll see to my new creation…"

With a whorl of black, he teleported out.

**-****_CHAPTER END_****-**

I couldn't think of any DDF members to come with Team Sora and get monster-fied, so I ended up having just the core trio for this chapter. Next time, Sora visits some old friends, and then we get another original World…


	10. Memory of Friends

**SEE CHAPTER ONE FOR (MOST) DISCLAIMERS**

PLEASE READ & REVIEW, AND TEND TO THE TROPE PAGES

**-****_CHAPTER START_****-**

**Twilight Town – Main Square**

As Sora, Donald, & Goofy approached the bistro, they saw a familiar face seated at one of the outdoor tables, having a cup of tea: an old man in a blue wizard robe & hat, with a long white bead, and little black spectacles over his eyes.

"Ah, greetings, gentlemen" he said to them. "What brings you all the way out here? Besides the finest tea this side of Big Ben, of course."

"Huh?" Sora looked confused. "But Merlin, I thought that you sent a message asking us to stop by."

"Gracious, did I?" the old wizard put a hand to his chin.

"Didn't ya leave a message for us with Chip & Dale?" Goofy asked.

"About a book?" Donald asked.

"Ah, yes!" Merlin recalled. "Yes, the book. That's right."

He tapped his travel bag with his wand, levitating out a familiar enchanted book: the book that led into Pooh Bear's world. However, on the front cover, Pooh was sitting on a log looking up at the stars… alone.

"Sora's not on it" Donald pointed out.

"Did somethin' happen?" Goofy wondered.

"Well," Merlin said to Sora, "that's what you need to find out, lad."

Concerned, Sora nodded and handed the book to Donald. Using his Keyblade, he enveloped himself in Light magic and then zipped into the world within the book.

**-****_Scene Break_****-**

**100-Acre Wood**

Beneath a blue sky, Sora approached a large house-tree surrounded by gardens. Outside the front door, a tubby yellow bear in a red shirt was deep in thought, a little piglet in a black-striped pink outfit beside him.

"Pooh Bear!" Sora called out as he approached. "You okay?"

Pooh looked up and got to his feet. "Oh! Hello there, Sora. You're home."

"Uh… huh? Good to see you, Pooh. And you too, Piglet."

"Hello!" the tiny pink figure waved.

"You're not in trouble?" Sora asked. "But I thought something odd must be going on."

"Hmm, let me see…" Pooh thought. "I don't remember anything oddish, but perhaps I've forgotten. Think, think, think…"

"Oh, we've got trouble, all right!" Rabbit cut in as he came over.

"Would that be the 'Rabbit' sort of trouble?" Piglet asked, being a little cheeky.

Rabbit frowned, crossing his arms.

"Sora!"

Hearing Roo's voice, Sora turned and saw the tiny joey riding atop a cuddly lavender-colored elephant-looking thing.

"Wow!" Sora grinned. "Who's _this_?"

Roo leapt off the heffalump, turning to him. "It's okay" he told the shy new addition. "He's my friend."

Sora grinned, crouching down. "Hi, I'm Sora."

"I'm Lumpy!" the heffalump said. "It's nice to meet you!"

He started stomping around happily, and in response the ground burst open nearby, letting a little furry critter emerge.

"Sufferin' sassafras!" Gopher piped in. "Stomp around a little louder, why don't ya?"

"Oh! I'm sorry, Gopher…"

Piglet giggled. "I kinda _like_ it when the ground gets bouncy."

"Well, I suppose if something has to bounce…" Gopher started. Then, he and Piglet heard a *boing-boing-boing* sound, turning to face it. "Speaking of…"

Confused, Sora turned around just in time to get pounced by Tigger, bowling him over.

"Back for some more bouncin', Sora?" the toon-tiger asked. "C'mon, let's go! You too, Roo!"

As Tigger and Roo started bouncing around, Kanga came over and helped Sora back to his feet.

"Tigger's his usual self, I see" Sora said with a grin.

"As always" the mother kangaroo giggled. "I think you've gotten a teensy bit taller, Sora – perhaps by an inch or so?"

Sora put his hands behind his head. "Yeah, but I don't think I'll manage to catch up to my friend Riku in that department."

"Oh, don't be so sure of that, Sora" Owl said as he flew in. "You're still a growing lad, after all!"

"Yeah, but so is he, and he's a year older than me…"

"Might as well just wait and see what happens" Eeyore said as he moseyed on in. "Course, it'd be best not to get your hopes up…"

"Oh, I remember now" Pooh spoke up. "Rabbit's trouble is harvest-related."

"Well, thank _you_ for remembering my plight, Pooh" Rabbit remarked. "Better late than never." He turned to Tigger, Roo, and Lumpy, who were still hopping around. "_Excuse_ me!" he shouted. "Would anyone _else_ care to remember why we're here?"

The trio stopped bouncing, pondering and trying to remember.

"As I recall," Pooh replied, "we came to help you with your garden, Rabbit. After which, perhaps, you'll invite us in for a smackeral or two of honey?"

"Correct." Rabbit suddenly registered that last bit. "Uh, n-no, no! I mean, uh, we'll see about that, Pooh. Now, the garden, if you please? You can help too, Sora."

"What?" the human was a bit shocked. "Me, too?"

-_Break_-

After helping harvest some veggies, fruit, and flowers from the gardens, Rabbit presented Pooh with a reward for his hard work: a big ol' jar of delicious 'Hunny'. As Pooh happily dug in, a cool breeze sent many of the flower petals flowing in the wind, making for a beautiful and soothing scene.

"Look at 'em all!" Tigger cried. "They're bouncin' even higher than _me_!"

"Sora," Pooh said, "I believe the one I should thank for all that yummy, delicious honey is _you_."

"Don't mention it, Pooh" Sora smiled. "Besides, we _all_ pitched in to help!"

"Um… Sora?" He held a hand to his heart. "You used to be right here. Why is it that you went away?"

"Away? …Oh. _That's_ what you meant by 'you're home'."

"Yes. You see, when I get a rumbly in my tumbly, it's very hard to think of anything but honey. So I was worried that I might have forgotten you away."

Sora chuckled. "Silly bear, I'd never."

"Oh, good, because I want us to be together forever."

"Pooh… We _are_ together. There isn't a second that we're not."

'Except… I can feel it' he thought, worried. 'Our connection's weaker… Why _is_ that?"

"What's wrong, Sora?"

"…Oh, it's nothing. What matters is I'll be here" he pointed to Pooh's heart "from now on. No going away."

Pooh chuckled. "Thank you, Sora."

**-****_Scene Break_****-**

As Sora emerged from the book, its front cover changed to show him & Pooh seated together on a log, under a bright blue sky with puffy clouds.

"Splendid" Merlin said. "All is as it should be!"

"But how come Sora's picture disappeared in the first place?" Goofy asked.

Sora hung his head, looking glum.

"Sora?" Donald came closer, concerned.

"…Something's happened to me that made me vanish from Pooh's heart." He looked up, turning to the old wizard. "Merlin, I don't _ever_ wanna lose my friends."

"Hmm…" Merlin pondered. "Well now, there's no need to fret, lad. Whatever's lost can be found again. There are always new paths between Hearts for us to discover and traverse." He smiled. "But you already know that."

He showed Sora the book's new cover, and Sora's smile returned.

"Hey, I just thought of somethin'!" Goofy spoke up. "Remember how when our memories were damaged after our first adventure, and Naminé had to put 'em back together? And Leon & the gang mentioned that their memories of us faded away, only to suddenly come back once our memories were back how they were supposed to be? What if Pooh forgettin' about Sora temporarily was caused by when Master Xehanort damaged his Heart, at the end of the Mark of Mastery Exam?"

"Yes… Yes! That would certainly explain it!" Merlin replied. "During the brief period when Sora's Heart was damaged, memory of him began to fade from Pooh Bear, only to come back once Riku repaired the damage."

"So _that's_ it!" Sora pounded his palm. "In that case, I'm gonna have to be extra-careful not to let _that_ kinda thing happen again."

"Considering what we're going up against…" Donald remarked warily.

"Yeah, I know – easier said than done…"

Just then, Sora's Keyblade manifested itself, the tip pulsing softly with light.

"Time to go" he said. "The Keyblade is guiding us to another place. Come on, you two – let's get a move on! Merlin, thanks for giving me the chance to see Pooh and his friends again!"

"No trouble at all, lad!" the old wizard waved to the departing trio. "I'll keep the book safe, and I'll tell Leon and the others you said hello. And feel free to stop by if you want any more magic lessons!"

"I wonder where we're goin' next?" Goofy said. "I hope it isn't _too_ far away…"

**-****_CHAPTER END_****-**

Okay, the next chapter will be another 'original' one, with Team Sora visiting a World they didn't go to in the game. However, this story will be going on a little hiatus for two weeks or so, because in order to write that chapter, I need a novel for reference and details. I've ordered it, and it's due to arrive by the 30th; I'll then need to read through it, and then I can get to work on the chapter.

See you guys in the new year!


	11. Insert Non-Spoilery Chapter Title Here

**SEE CHAPTER ONE FOR (MOST) DISCLAIMERS**

PLEASE READ & REVIEW, AND TEND TO THE TROPE PAGES

**-****_CHAPTER START_****-**

The Gummi Ship soared through inter-World space, bound for wherever the Keyblade was leading them next. Joining Sora, Donald, & Goofy were two psychically powerful young women, guided by dream-visions to join Team Sora for this op.

"I wonder what we'll find…" Goofy remarked.

"Trouble" Donald replied. "What else?"

"The vision Ahsoka and I had was… odd" Angelise remarked, glancing over at her non-human comrade in the other guest-seat. "And disturbing – screaming souls, flashes of claws & scales…"

"Well, whatever it is," Sora rested his hands behind his head, "we'll handle it. We always do, right?"

There was a whirl of color as the Gummi Ship re-entered "real-space", emerging into a field of stars, one side of their view dominated by a forest-covered planet… or rather, a planet-sized habitable moon, its parent gas giant visible in the distance. In orbit around the moon were multiple masses of debris, the wrecks and pieces of spaceships, along with a sizable fleet of ships still intact, of a design most of the DDF had never seen in person before.

"This place…" Ahsoka murmured. "This feeling… It _can't_ be…"

Aboard one of those ships, a young man still recovering from an arduous battle startled and looked outward as he sensed the arrival of newcomers, strong in the Light. _Very_ strong.

"What is it, kiddo?" his older and rougher companion asked.

"I'm not sure" the young hero replied. "But… I think we might be about to meet some new allies."

Gazing out the nearby viewport in the direction of the Gummi Ship, Luke Skywalker felt the newcomers' potent presences in the Force.

**Galaxy Far, Far Away**

**-****_Break_****-**

It took a little doing from Team Sora, and some vouching from the Alliance's own Jedi, to convince the Alliance that the Gummi Ship and its occupants weren't hostile. Now, the little craft flew into the _Home One_'s hangar, setting down beside the disc-like shape of the famous _Millennium Falcon_ (being worked over by repair crews to patch up scratches & scorch-marks and replace the antenna dish knocked off during its escape from the Death Star II). The five travelers disembarked, Donald & Goofy earning a few curious stares from the Rebels. Luke, Leia, and Han were waiting for them. As the hero group approached, Luke's eyes widened as he saw the lightsabers clipped to Ahsoka's belt.

'Another Jedi… A survivor from the Purges? But she looks too young for that; the student of a survivor, maybe?'

'So that's them…' Ahsoka thought. 'Master and Padmé's kids… This might get a bit awkward, even _without_ taking into account that they're older than me…'

"Hi, there" Sora waved. "I'm Sora!"

"And I'm Donald!"

"Name's Goofy; pleasure to meet ya!"

"I am Angelise Misurugi; 'Ange' will do."

"And I am Ahsoka Tano."

"Name's Han Solo."

"I'm Luke Skywalker; it's nice to meet you all."

"Leia Organa"

"The both of you…" Luke looked at Ange and Ahsoka. "Your presence in the Force is very strong."

Ange smiled a bit. "There is a species called the Protoss, who _all_ possess psychic powers – what you call the Force. And at some point, centuries ago, some ancient meddling race was inspired by the Protoss' powers, so they found my world's people and granted their type of power to us. Although, it was only very recently that we became aware of and awakened that sleeping power."

"As for me," Ahsoka said, "I'm actually a survivor of the Purge at the end of the Clone Wars. I spent the last 20 or so years… in stasis, and have been out of it for a little over a year, I think." (She didn't quite think they'd buy "I got brought back from the dead" just yet) "And… during the Clone Wars, I was the Padawan – the apprentice – of Anakin Skywalker."

Luke and Leia reacted with naked shock, the latter almost reeling. "…My father?" Luke said. "You were his apprentice?"

"Did he turn on you?" Leia blurted out, wincing upon realizing what she'd just said.

Ahsoka glared at her. "Actually, Anakin was the only one who _didn't_. Another Jedi, one I _thought_ was my friend, committed terrible crimes and framed _me_ for it… And, with the exception of Master Skywalker, all the other Jedi fell for it – the Council members, Grandmaster Yoda, even Master Kenobi started doubting me as things moved on. Anakin was the only one who stayed strong in his belief that I was innocent. While I was locked up, being put on trial for something that would get me executed, he went on the hunt, found and defeated the real culprit, dragged her forward and revealed everything.

"Afterwards, the Jedi Council reinstated me, and they had the _balls_ to declare all the hell I'd been through as my "Knight's Trial", offered to promote me. …I couldn't trust them anymore, _any_ of them. With the exception of Master Skywalker, the only one to always believe in me, they'd all been led astray by one rogue Padawan's scheme, turned on me without giving me the benefit of the doubt. I didn't just decline their promotion. I abdicated the Jedi Order."

Even Han was visibly upset as he & his two comrades processed the girl's tale. "The great and wise and all-knowing Jedi Order, falling hook, line, & sinker for a frame-up…" he grumbled.

"The whole affair also eroded a lot of Anakin's faith in the Order," Sora spoke up, "and that made it easier for Palpatine to get his hooks in him later on…"

"How do you know about that?" Luke asked.

"Well…" Ange said. "This may be kinda hard to believe, but we're Realm-hoppers. And in some universes, the events of _this_ universe are fiction. _Star Wars_, they call it. The main films, chronologically, start with the Trade Federation's invasion of Naboo and end with the second Death Star's destruction, Palpatine's death, and the big victory celebration with the little furry natives."

"Which was just yesterday for us" Han said. "So you're in uncharted territory now, in a sense."

Leia sighed. "Movies that end with the big post-victory and celebrations always leave out the clean-up afterwards, what happens to the _rest_ of the villains once the big baddie meets their end… Wait. If the events of this universe are films in another, do you know…?"

"That you're my old Master's daughter? Yes" Ahsoka said.

Leia frowned. "I'm not _that man_'s child…" she growled.

"…I think I ought to tell you guys just _how_ badly Palpatine played Anakin like a fiddle… Sith are good at getting into people's heads, and considering that Palpatine, Darth Sidious, was the second most powerful Sith Lord to _ever live_…"

"Who was number one?" Han asked.

"Darth Nihilus, about 4,000 years ago. He was basically a sapient, person-shaped wraith of the Dark Side, a living Wound in the Force. So you could say, Palpatine was the most powerful Sith who was still flesh & blood and hadn't become some full-on abomination."

"Do you know who our mother was?" Luke asked, a spark of hope in his eyes.

"I knew her personally" Ahsoka smiled as she remembered. "And she was like a cross between a big sister and mother to me. Padmé Amidala, first the elected leader of Naboo and then, once her term was up, Naboo's Senator. She and Anakin met when he was just 9 and she was 14; 10 years later, they got reacquainted and became an 'item'. Though, they had to keep it secret; the Jedi Order forbade "attachment"… She was strong-willed, fierce, a skilled diplomat and a hell of a shot with a pistol. But she also had strong empathy, tried to find peaceful resolutions to the Clone Wars at great risk to herself. She and Anakin were so devoted to each other…"

"What happened to her?" Han asked, afraid of what the answer might be.

Ahsoka sighed sadly. "Palpatine happened. He used vision-dreams Anakin had been suffering of Padmé dying in childbirth to tempt him away from the Jedi, telling him of how the Dark Side could be used to cheat death and deny fate. Master Yoda didn't exactly _help_ matters, either, with his advice to Anakin being basically to let the people he cares about die if that's what the Force willed…" She shook her head. "By the time Padmé caught up to Anakin, the Dark Side had already poisoned his mind, and he was firmly in Sidious' clutches."

"…He killed her?" Leia asked.

"Not… deliberately. In the heat of the moment, in their argument, he briefly throttled her with the Force, but stopped in horror once he realized what he was doing. He and Master Kenobi then had their big duel that ended with Obi-Wan winning. Because this duel was on Mustafar, a volcanic hellhole of a planet, once the Force wasn't protecting Anakin, the convection set him ablaze, seared his lungs. That's why Vader had that clunky suit. They rushed Padmé to a hidden med-station, and she gave birth to the two of you, but…"

She sighed again. "Anakin and Padmé's bond of love, and the presence of his children within her, forged a Force Bond between the two of them. As he was being operated on, without his knowledge or will that bond leeched her life-force to keep him alive. She only lived long enough to birth you two. And once he learned what had happened, how the very bond he cherished with her had _killed_ her… That horror, guilt, and despair _destroyed_ Anakin Skywalker. That's when he truly became Darth Vader."

Luke and Leia were solemn and contemplative, finally learning just how Anakin had succumbed.

"How do we know for sure…" Han spoke up, "that Palpatine didn't _put_ those visions of Amidala dying into Anakin's dreams in the first place?"

"That's… disturbingly possible" Angelise admitted. "And it would've been in-character for him…"

"…He wasn't totally gone" Luke finally said. "At the end, I got through to what was left of Anakin Skywalker, deep inside him. And he gave his life to finally set things right."

Ahsoka nodded. "You did. You achieved the impossible, Luke. You saved my Master's, my _father's_ soul. I can't thank you enough."

"Why don't we head for the lounge?" Han suggested. "You can meet the rest of the gang. Then we can get you set up with meeting the big-shots around these parts."

As they started along, Han sent messages ahead. Luke briefly slowed as a tremor of pain shot up his body.

"Are you okay?" Donald asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine" the youth said through gritted teeth. "Just still a… little sore from when Palpatine tried to barbecue me."

"You should probably let the doctors take a good look at you," Sora suggested, "see if there's any long-term damage."

"Psionic lightning can leave lasting effects if not configured to be non-lethal" Ange added.

"I will, once this meeting's done. …Wait, that trick he used can do more than cause agonizing pain?"

"That's how the _Sith_ use it" Ahsoka replied. "Force Lightning can also be used to assault a target's central nervous system, basically kill them instantly with a minimum of suffering. It can also be used to make muscles lock up and lose feeling, leaving somebody relatively unharmed but paralyzed until it wears off. I like to focus it through and around my lightsabers to increase their range a bit and give a numbing effect to glancing blows."

As they arrived in the ship's nearest lounge, there were three more 'people' waiting for them – a gold-played humanoid droid, a blue & white droid with a cylindrical main body, and super-tall furry alien. Seeing a certain face among the newcomers, R2D2 rolled over, chirping excitedly.

"Artoo!" Ahsoka shouted happily, kneeling down to hug the droid. "I never thought I'd see you again!"

"{I thought you were dead!}" the astromech replied.

"Uh, _long_ story, little buddy. I'll explain later!"

"You know Artoo?" Leia asked.

"He was Padmé & Anakin's astromech" Ahsoka replied. "He and I went through all kinds of adventures with them back in the day." She looked over the protocol droid in the room. "Threepio was Padmé's protocol droid, but unlike Artoo, they decided he was too chatty and memory-wiped him to keep him from blabbing about Anakin's fall or Luke & Leia's birth."

"What?!" the golden droid replied, stunned. "Oh, gracious…"

"Yeah, that sounds about right" Han quipped.

There was a warbling bark from the resident Wookiee as he came over. After a second, Ahsoka smiled.

"Chewbacca? I never thought I'd see _you_ again, either!"

"Wait, Chewie, you know her?" Luke asked.

"{We got captured by Trandoshans}," the Wookiee responded with Han translating, "{along with a few other young Jedi}."

"At one point," the Togrutan was grinning, "another Padawan named Jinx tried to Mind-Trick a Trandoshan we'd captured. It didn't work at first, but then Chewbacca thumped him on the head and _that_ got the Mind-Trick to work!"

Chewbacca chuckled at the memory.

"So," Leia said, "I get the feeling you folks didn't come by just to hang out and meet friends?"

Sora nodded. "That's _part_ of it – for me at least – but yeah, we have some powerful enemies out there."

They all sat down, and 'Team Sora' told the local group all about their enemies – the Heartless, the Nobodies, the Unversed, the Seekers of Darkness, the Three Sorceresses, Joker & Infinite… This soon led to telling them about the Dimensional Defense Force, their numerous allies, the other foes they'd dealt with and those still lurking somewhere out there…

"We'll help" Luke said. "Whatever we can do to help you guys, we will."

Sora nodded. "Thanks. Odds are that someone from the Organization is up to something around these parts. We just need to find out who, where, and what."

Suddenly, Ange's Omnitool pinged, and she brought it up.

"I had the Gummi Ship's sensors scanning the system for anything unusual" she announced. "Something's just dropped out of hyperspace. It looks like… an Imperial message probe?"

-_Break_-

A quick retrieval mission brought the oddly-designed and heavily-encrypted probe aboard. In the process, it was discovered that Luke did indeed have some lasting damage from Emperor Palpatine's electric torture. Thankfully, Donald used some healing magic to speed up his recovery; Luke still wasn't at 100% yet, but he was better than he would be without the newcomers' aid.

After some work, the Alliance managed to decrypt the probe's message: a desperate distress call, sent from a remote Imperial-controlled world under siege by invaders from the Unknown Regions. The Alliance higher-ups ended up deciding to send a small carrier with some escort to render aid – get in some Imperials' good graces and those of the planet's, maybe win a few more converts to their cause.

Sora & company volunteered to help as well, certain that the Organization would probably get involved somehow. They contacted the DDF, who promised to send a ship or two as further backup; they'd likely arrive shortly after the Alliance ship did.

Han sighed, sitting in the _Falcon_'s pilot chair. "The Emperor's not even 48 hours dead, and here we go back into the fire. Okay folks, strap in and be ready for anything. Next stop: Bakura."

**-****_Break_****-**

The freighter-turned-carrier named _Flurry_, 350 meters in length, emerged from hyperspace accompanied by five gunships, a corvette, and about two-dozen fighters, along with the _Millennium Falcon _and the Gummi Ship. A battle was being waged – Imperial ships (a few gunboats & patrol-ships led by a light cruiser the same size as the _Flurry_) and TIE Fighters were engaged against odd, bulbous craft and their pyramidal fighters. The _Falcon_, with Leia aboard as their diplomat/negotiator, jumped out to hide amongst the star system's dead outer worlds, while the rest of the taskforce made contact with the local Imperial commander and jumped in-system to help fight the invaders – the "Ssi-ruuvi Imperium".

The Gummi Ship joined in taking on the Ssi-ruuvi drone fighters, which proved to be tough nuts to crack with durable shields and durable construction. Furthermore, whenever one was destroyed, Ahsoka and Angelise 'felt' the terribly disturbing Force-sensation of a long-agonized soul letting out a final pitiful 'scream' as it was extinguished, despite the fact they should've been fighting drone craft…

As the battle went on, the _Falcon_ returned to the fray just in time to save the _Flurry_ from taking heavy damage. Together with the rallying Imperial ships, the Alliance counterattack managed to destroy a Ssi-ruuvi light cruiser. Stunned by the loss, the Ssi-ruuk commanders of the remaining invader ships debated, on the fence whether to stay and avenge their brethren or fall back and regroup. But then, something occurred that pushed them into the latter choice. The Rebels and Imperials watched in worried confusion as spiraling bluish-black vortexes appeared in space, and out of the slipspace ruptures emerged three DDF ships: two UNSC _Gladius_-class heavy corvettes, each 243 meters long, and a UNSC _Paris_-class heavy frigate that, at 535 meters, was now the biggest ship in the system.

The UNSC _Saratoga_ was a survivor. Through the skill of her commander & crew, along with sheer incredible luck, she had made it through numerous climactic and dangerous battles & campaigns – the Battle of Meridian, the Fall of Reach, the Battle for Earth, coming to the TSAB's aid against Scaglietti's droid fleet, the brief war against Arcturus Mengsk, the Reaper War, the Ur-Didact's attack on Earth, the war against Amon's forces… If her luck held out and she made it to decommissioning & retirement, they were thinking of turning her into a museum. Now, accompanied by the heavy corvettes _Sagan Blue_ and _Tyson_, they were here to help fend off the reptilian invaders.

At the sight of the reinforcements, including the huge heavy frigate (a cruiser by the SW Galaxy's standard "Anaxes" classification system), the remaining Ssi-ruuvi ships turned and fled, retreating out to the edge of the system. As the UNSC ships made contact with the Rebel & Imperial "allies", the _Falcon_ and the Gummi Ship made for the escort carrier _Flurry_.

Aboard the enemy command ship, now hiding out in the darkness, a deluded slave was now set to face an inner conflict…

**-****_Break_****-**

A sizable group of 'ambassadors' entered the council chamber containing prominent Bakurans and the local Imperial leadership. With Donald, Chewbacca, and R2D2 guarding the group's weapons, Leia was accompanied by Luke, Han, Ange, Ahsoka, Sora, & Goofy, while C3PO hung back by the door. The ensuing meeting was… difficult, thanks in part to the local head Imperial official, Governor Wilek Nereus.

Furthermore, there was a young woman named Gaeriel Captison who at first seemed quite interested in Luke, but as soon as he was revealed to be a Jedi, she gave off feelings of shock and religious revulsion… and then, when it was revealed that Palpatine had been a Sith Lord, it 'felt' like her worldview got a nasty shake. It turned out that her religion decried Jedi _and_ Sith due to believing that if someone gains power, somebody else somewhere else will lose power & fortune to balance it out. She had thus thought highly of Palpatine for 're-balancing the cosmos' by wiping out the Jedi, but being met with the revelation that he had been an extremely powerful Sith motivated solely by power and conquest shook her.

They had also shown a recorded message sent by the Ssi-ruuvi Imperium, mainly by a human youth who had apparently been taken by the aliens as a child and indoctrinated/brainwashed by their views. The heroes felt horrified and sick upon learning how the Ssi-ruuk would "entech" people – suck out their life-energies and _souls_, using them as power sources for all sorts of things, including battle droids and starfighters. And what's worse, the youth – Dev Sibwarra – honestly seemed to view this as a near-divine blessing and transcendence or something like that.

"One wonders whether his masters just feed him that to keep him in line with them," Angelise pondered, "or if _they_ honestly hold that twisted belief, too…"

"Either way," Ahsoka replied, "we'll need to free all of those tortured, captive souls so they can finally pass on in peace."

"And in addition to the Ssi-ruuvi," Gaeriel's uncle, Prime Minister Yeorg Captison, spoke up, "we may have another new problem on our hands. A few of our scouts along the city perimeter have reported fleeting sightings of strange dark creatures, being coordinated by a humanoid figure in a full-body black hooded coat."

"The Organization is here?" Sora said. "Do you have any pictures?"

Curious at the youth's interjection, the man called up a still image, taken through a long-range scope, of a pack of Shadows and Neoshadows together with a figure in an all-too-familiar black coat. Judging by the 'shape', it appeared the figure was female.

"That's them, all right" Sora frowned. "A member of the Seekers of Darkness, with some Heartless in tow."

"Looks like it's a woman," Goofy muttered, "so it's either Karidé or Alektra. Unless Xehanort's got Larxene under his banner again, like he's got Marluxia…"

"Prime Minister, Governor," Sora said, "those guys are bad news – not affiliated with the Ssi-ruuk, but maybe just as dangerous. Me & my friends have experience dealing with them, though; if they come out of the woodwork and start making trouble, let us handle them while you guys focus on the invaders."

"You're asking us to ignore a potential threat to our world?" a senator asked.

"We're _already_ dealing with the Ssi-ruuk" an older man replied. "If the newcomers want to lighten our load a little, I say we let them."

"Just like with the Jedi and Sith," Sora explained, "there are both good and evil wielders of powerful mystical weapons called Keyblades. The Seekers of Darkness, led by Master Xehanort and Ganondorf, are the main villainous wielders…" he summoned his Kingdom Key "and while I may not be the head honcho for the good-guy Keybladers, I'm kinda leading the charge against the Seekers at the moment." He dispelled his weapon. "If and when they make their move, my friends & I will be ready for them and will do what we can to minimize the damage they cause."

**-****_Scene Break_****-**

Things were relatively uneventful after that. The three UNSC ships kept a look out for the return of Ssi-ruuvi ships, and did what they could to coordinate with the surviving local (Imperial, Bakuran, Rebel) ships, come up with battle-plans and the like. Team Sora patrolled for Seeker activity; so far, no further sightings of the enemy leader, but they _had_ encountered and vanquished a couple of Heartless packs. Ahsoka, at Luke's request, told him & Leia more about the adventures she, Anakin, & Obi-Wan got up to during the Clone Wars.

Luke continued in his quest to break through Gaeriel's religious prejudice against Jedi, even visiting her home and lending some aid to her seemingly-demented elderly aunt. He & Gaeriel even shared a meal together… but had no idea of knowing that, thanks to Governor Nereus, there was something extra in the food…

Unfortunately, the peace didn't last long. When Luke went alone to check out a diner/bar, he was rudely interrupted by a trio of high-ranking Ssi-ruuk and their 'pet' Sibwarra; Nereus had sold him out in return for the aliens leaving Bakura alone. In the ensuing brawl, Luke managed to kill one of the Ssi-ruuk and clandestinely use the Force to shatter Sibwarra's brainwashing & conditioning, but he was knocked out by one of the two other lizards and taken captive.

By the time the UNSC ships located and got in range of the returning Ssi-ruuvi ships, Luke had already been taken aboard the enemy flagship, meaning they couldn't risk unloading on it. They were at least able to help the Rebel and Imperial ships engage the Ssi-ruuvi fighters and other ships, with the _Saratoga_ stunning the locals by using a MAC shot to literally punch a hole clean through a Ssi-ruuvi frigate from bow to stern; the 'locals' had never imagined a slugthrower-type weapon could be _that_ powerful…

Meanwhile, planet-side, things boiled over as Nereus and the Imperials loyal to him turned on the Rebel forces and the Bakurans who tried to help them. What's more, the Heartless – stirred to action by all the chaos – came out of the shadows and started attacking Sora & company, trying to keep them from stopping the forces of evil from prevailing.

Now, as the five traveling heroes carved their way through a pack of Shadows, making their way toward where important Bakurans were being held by Nereus' forces, they were suddenly beset by a wave of dark-red mana bolts. Sora and Ahsoka quickly formed a barrier to protect them all, the dome of defensive magic rippling and straining but managing to hold. A figure clad in the black coat of the Organization leapt down, the hood falling back to reveal Alektra, looking at them all with her usual expression of cold disdain.

"Jill…" Ange growled, activating her psi-blades. "Are you helping the Ssi-ruuk, too?"

"Not really, no" the fallen woman replied. "Master Xehanort's belief, one that I share, is that the Ssi-ruuk would get a bit too… _greedy_ if we gave them a hand. Some of their tech might be useful, though. At the moment, I'm a bit more interested in the local humans; with how much darkness, greed, and hate is in his soul, Governor Nereus would make a fine Heartless… and making him into a mindless beast wholly under our control would be quite poetic, considering what an arrogant, misogynistic bully with delusions of grandeur he is."

"He might deserve something like that," Ahsoka replied, "but not if it's going to strengthen your side!"

"Really, now? You're sure you wouldn't want us to get rid of a man who'd sell Luke Skywalker to the invaders to save himself, only to infect the Jedi with deadly lung-dwelling parasites that will tear their way out of him and kill the Ssi-ruuk the same way?"

Hearing that, the hero quintet quickly dawned expressions of stunned horror. Alektra then channeled her dark power and slammed her palms to the ground. Three huge swirling dark portals formed, and from them emerged a trio of Hybrids – two Reavers, one Destroyer – who'd survived their master's death and been taken control of by Xehanort & Ganondorf. Sora, Ahsoka, Donald, Angelise, & Goofy felt the abominable creatures' Aura of Fear affecting them, the strength of three at once nearly making Donald break and run, but Ahsoka & Ange then used their power to shield themselves and their comrades from the effect (mostly).

As Alektra slipped away, the Hybrids went on the attack. Angelise formed a barrier to block a psi-blast fired by the Hybrid Destroyer, while Ahsoka and Goofy leapt to avoid being crushed by a Hybrid Reaver's pouncing attack. While she was still thinking about it, Ahsoka desperately sent a telepathic message out toward Luke, hoping he got and understood it: 'LUNG PARASITES'. She then had to return her focus to here & now, ducking under a Reaver's claw swipe and then trying to cut its arm off with a lightsaber, only for the beast to pull its limb out of the way and avoid the strike.

Sora stunned a Reaver with a Strike Raid to the face, then fired a wave of Light-type _Sagitta Magica_ at the Destroyer, forcing it to forfeit its chance to blast Goofy in order to protect itself with a barrier. The Reaver he'd hit charged at him from the side, but a Gravity spell from Donald tripped it up, letting Sora dodge and counter with a series of heavy blows with his Keyblade. Ange & Ahsoka double-teamed the other Reaver, dancing around its multiple limbs' attempts to slash and crush them, striking with psi-blades and lightsabers whenever they got an opening to.

A 'Goofy Bombardier' attack stunned and wounded a Hybrid Reaver, and Donald then blasted it with Blizzaza, freezing it in place. As the beast roared and struggled to break free of the ice restraining it, Ange moved in and put all her strength into a decapitating blow, slaying the monster. She then barely avoided a burning energy bolt from the Destroyer, her shields flaring just from the proximity of it. Ahsoka fired a compressed 'cannonball' of Force at the Hybrid Destroyer, while Sora fired a wave of Ragnarok bolts at it, the attacks battering at its psionic barrier and breaking through to mar its flesh. As the monster tried to fry them both with psionic lightning, Donald and Angelise cast a powerful dual-type barrier that (barely) fended off the assault.

The remaining Hybrid Reaver roared and pounced, trying to crush Sora with all four of its arms. The youth nimbly dodged its swings and thrusts, striking back whenever he got the chance, and then he cast a quick Light spell right in the Hybrid's face. The beast snarled as it reared back, one hand held to its face as it tried to blink away the sudden flash-blindness. Sora flew into an 'Ars Arcanum' barrage, his Keyblade glowing with power as he slashed and battered the monster. He finished with a full-strength blow to the head that finally proved too much, and the Hybrid Reaver collapsed, unmoving.

The lone remaining Hybrid roared and started firing psi-blasts at everyone in sight. As Donald, Goofy, & Angelise engaged the Destroyer, attacking from multiple directions to divide its focus, Ahsoka waved Sora over, her hand sparking with electrical energy. Sora started forming a Rasengan, and Ahsoka infused it with Force Lightning, resulting in a slightly larger sphere in a deeper blue than normal, crackling with lightning energy. Donald hit the Hybrid Destroyer with a Slow spell, and Ahsoka gave Sora a Force-assisted launch at the vulnerable enemy. The attack grinded through the Hybrid's weakened barrier and then into its chest while electrocuting it, the monster's psychic roar echoing out.

Then, Sora let the attack 'detonate', the focused spiraling electrified concussive blast launching the Hybrid Destroyer back and tearing almost all the way through its chest. The monster landed with a thud, twitching a few times and then going still. The quintet caught their breath, confirming the three monsters were dead, and then moved on to see what else they could do to help.

-_Break_-

It turned out that while Team Sora was dealing with the Hybrids, the Bakuran Resistance Movement finally sprang into action, catching the Imperials off-guard and capturing Governor Nereus. Meanwhile, up in orbit, when Nereus tried to have the Imperial command ship turn on the Rebels, the _Saratoga_'s mere presence had frightened the ship's commander into standing down peacefully instead.

Also, Luke had indeed received Ahsoka's warning, detected and neutralized the parasites inside him, and made his way through the Ssi-ruuvi flagship. At the bridge, he managed to kill the admiral leading the attack; unfortunately, at one point in the fight he'd been briefly disarmed, and Dev Sibwarra had thrown himself into the path of a fatal shot meant for Luke. Despite desperate medical attention, Dev's wounds proved too much, and his soul, finally repaired and cleansed, passed on.

In the aftermath, the Ssi-ruuvi ship was captured mostly intact, after Luke had finished freeing the captive souls being used to power things inside. Planet-side, Nereus snapped upon seeing Luke alive & well, and his attempt to shoot the Jedi was reflexively parried, resulting in the evil governor being killed by his own blaster bolt. Sadly, although Bakura did indeed decide to join the burgeoning New Republic, Gaeriel Captison came to realize that her & Luke's lives had too much different, and she had too much responsibility here on her homeworld, for the two of them to be an item…

The Rebel Alliance / New Republic made formal contact with the Dimensional Defense Force, and were welcomed into the DDF. Ships were already coming over to help secure the Alliance's borders and spruce up their ships; the _Millennium Falcon_, for example, was going to get a sorely-needed tune-up, a better-stocked armory, improved shields, more weapons, and a slipspace drive, and might end up getting the same emission-capture stealth technology used by the _Normandy II _and its predecessor.

-_Break_-

"Sorry we couldn't do more to help you out there, Luke" Sora said.

"It's fine, Sora" the young Jedi smiled. "You did fine. For one thing, I don't wanna think about what could've happened if those 'Hybrid' things had gotten past you guys. …Even from orbit, I could feel the _wrongness_ of those monsters… So! You guys helped us, now we'll help you. I'll do what I can to help you in the fight against the Seekers of Darkness… once the doctors clear me, that is. And I can't wait to meet Rahm Kota and Galen Marek… So, where are you headed next?"

"We don't rightly know yet" Goofy replied. "We sorta just go where the Keyblade leads us. But it always brings us someplace where we can help stop the forces of darkness from causin' trouble."

"Speaking of which," Sora said, "we probably should get going. Xehanort & Ganondorf aren't gonna just sit around, so neither can we."

The young Jedi nodded. "See you soon then, Sora. May the Force be with you."

**-****_Break_****-**

In the Deep Core, something stirred…

**-****_CHAPTER END_****-**

Next Up: Arandelle

Also, I have discovered _Goblin Slayer_, and am working on thinking of ways to implement that world into things (so far, I've figured "it's heavily implied the goblins are alien invaders; that would give the DDF free rein to render assistance in repelling and exterminating them"), as well as trying to map out how the events of _RWBY_ Season 4 & onwards will be changed by the various factors introduced or changed in the Travels-verse.


	12. Let It Go

I keep getting conflicting answers from Google – is it "Ar**a**ndelle" or "Ar**e**ndelle"?

**SEE CHAPTER ONE FOR (MOST) DISCLAIMERS**

PLEASE READ & REVIEW, AND TEND TO THE TROPE PAGES

**-****_CHAPTER START_****-**

Having arrived in a snowy mountain area, the sky overhead dark with clouds, a quintet of heroes made short work of a pack of Heartless; working alongside Sora, Donald, & Goofy, Akane Hino – already in Cure Sunny form – and Lea – getting some more field experience with his Keyblade – crushed and burned darklings, their attacks melting the snow around them. As the last Heartless feel, an icy wind blew by, resulting in Sora hugging himself, shaking and hopping around.

"Donald, gimme a coat!" he pleaded.

"The magic doesn't work that way" Donald replied.

"Guess he's too used to the beach" Goofy quipped.

"Good thing this coat is enchanted to protect against extreme temperatures" Lea remarked, tugging at one of his black cloak's tassels.

"I… think I'm gonna stay transformed," Cure Sunny said, "since my transformation protects me, too."

Still trying to warm himself up, Sora glanced off into the distance, where a town of some sorts bordered the ocean, which was visibly frosting over.

"Look" he said. "Even the sea's turning to… ice…"

Actually, it seemed a rolling wave of cold was flash-freezing the coastal ocean as it went, in a definitely unnatural manner.

"Donald, this isn't _your_ magic, is it?"

Donald shook his head.

"Do ya think it's the Heartless?" Goofy suggested.

They ran over to the water's edge, and saw a young woman with pale-blonde hair, wearing a turquoise dress with a long, flowing purple cape running across the water's surface. The water flash-froze into ice beneath her feet, the ice quickly spreading. Reaching the shore, she started making her way up a snowy slope, toward the mountains.

**ARANDELLE**

"That girl…" Sora said. "She looks so sad… I wonder what happened… Maybe the Heartless? We should go talk to her."

The five started up the slope, weaving through snow-covered trees, and were soon ambushed by a pack of Heartless – Soldiers, Marine Rumbas, and a pair of Parasol Beauties. Lea's chakrams and Goofy's shield made quick work of the Soldiers, while Donald and Sora started blasting the flyers with Fira and Thundara spells. Cure Sunny charged at the Parasol Beauties, leaping high to dodge the blaster bolts they fired at her and coming down to hit one with a punch so strong it cratered the snow and the ground beneath. As the Heartless disintegrated, she quickly hit the other one with a Sunny Fire attack that destroyed it as well.

With the way clear, the heroes pressed onward. A bit higher up, they were attacked by a herd of a new kind of Heartless, looking like deer with big antlers of ice - Winterhorns. Lea and Donald blasted them with Firaga spells, which proved very effective against the ice-type Heartless, quickly vanquishing them. Farther up the mountain, they encountered another pack, accompanied by more Parasol Beauties and Marine Rumbas. A wave of firework-rockets from Sora & Donald took out the Marine Rumbas, while Goofy started bashing Winterhorns. Cure Sunny and Lea each took on a Parasol Beauty, his fiery Keyblade battering through the Heartless' guard and cutting it down with a barrage of red-hot blows, while her supercharged fists pummeled her foe into submission.

Onwards they went, using magic or chakra to ascend a sheer cliff and enter a narrow gorge. Following it even higher up the mountain, they came upon a cliffside clearing, and caught sight of the young woman they'd seen earlier, walking through the snow.

"Hey, hold up!" Sora called out, startling her.

"Why are you here?" she asked, suspicious as they stopped in front of her. "Where did you come from?"

"Hi, I'm Sora! And, uh…"

Donald cleared his throat warningly.

"Uh… We're from someplace… a little warmer."

"I'm Donald!"

"And I'm Goofy!"

"Name's Lea; get it memorized."

"I'm Akane; nice to meetcha!"

"Are you all visiting Arendelle," the girl asked, "for the coronation?"

"Huh? Uh…" As Sora looked confused, Donald & Goofy just nodded, so he played along. "You got us! So, what's your name?"

"Elsa… Queen Elsa of Arandelle."

"T-The queen?!" the quintet immediately straightened up.

Elsa sighed. "You shouldn't be out here. Please go back to the village."

"Why?" Sora asked as Elsa turned away. "Your Majesty, you look like you could use a friend. Don't you wanna talk?"

"…Please leave. I need to be alone. I don't want to hurt anyone."

"Oh…" the heroes exchanged concerned looks. "Is it that bad? You must've been through a lot."

"We know what _that's_ like, don't we?" Donald said.

"Sure," Goofy replied, "adventuring's fun, but it definitely has its ups & downs."

"Yeah," Lea added, "you see things you'd rather not see, have days where you just wanna sit down and quit everything. But if you've got dependable comrades by your side, it's a bit easier to get back up and keep at it."

"I've been part of a team since day one" Cure Sunny said. "Don't wanna think about how things coulda ended up if I had to do everything solo…"

"Exactly!" Sora said. "Although, Donald… You _do_ lose your temper a lot, so… I can relate to wanting some alone-time."

"_Enough!_"

Elsa waved her hand outward, releasing a wave of ice magic, forming a barricade of spikes between her & the heroes. Donald had avoided getting skewered in the face by inches. As Elsa stared in guilt and shock, she suddenly spun around as a herd of Winterhorn Heartless spawned in.

"We got this" Sora told her as he & his team drew weapons. "Take cover!"

As Elsa took cover behind the ice barrier she'd inadvertently formed, Donald zapped a few of the deer Heartless with Thundara, stunning them for Goofy and Cure Sunny to pound. Elsa watched in shock as Sora pointed his Keyblade at a charging Winterhorn and fired a Blizzard blast… and then cringed as the ice magic enlarged and sharpened the beast's antlers while giving its forehooves ice armor.

"Bad idea, _bad idea!_" Sora shouted, running from the enhanced Heartless.

Seeing the youth's plight, Donald fired a Fira blast at the Winterhorn, destroying it. Lea brought out his Keyblade, every swing and strike releasing a little burst of flame, while Cure Sunny wreathed her fists & feet in fire magic to give her blows a little extra oomph against the ice-type Heartless. After spending her life struggling to control and suppress her ice magic, Elsa was astonished to see people with such control over _fire_ magic…

The hero quintet quickly disposed of the Heartless attacking them. With the area clear, the 'ice princess' came out of hiding.

"Are you okay, Elsa?" Sora asked.

"I… I'm sorry I was so upset" she said. "Thank you for your help."

Suddenly a surviving Winterhorn appeared behind the travelers and leapt at them. Reflexively, Elsa fired a shotgun-blast of little icicle spears, slaying the Heartless.

"Huh. Another ice-user" Lea remarked. "Doesn't someone on your team use ice magic, Sunny?"

Cure Sunny nodded. "Reika – Cure Beauty. Cure Diamond has ice control, too."

"And there are plenty of others who have magic ice control," Goofy added, "like that immortal little girl Evangeline, the Bureau's Colonel Yagami, that Miyako girl – God rest her soul – and-"

"I _can't_ control it!" Elsa interrupted, pain filling her voice. "Unless I constantly suppress my feelings, my ice power runs rampant. I don't control it; all it ever does – all _I _ever do – is hurt people!"

"You never had anyone to teach you…" Lea realized. "Jeez, most of our element-users either had the power gifted to them but it came with knowledge on how to use it, or – like me – had to start from the ground up with months or years of training on how to convert your energies into elements. Nearly blew myself up more than once…" he mumbled.

"It made short work of that Heartless, at least" Donald added.

"What _were_ those things?" Elsa asked.

"Creatures of darkness and instinct that try to corrupt or devour people's Hearts to make more of themselves" Sora replied. "And wherever they go, there's trouble."

Elsa clutched her hands to her chest. "They're after people's Hearts…?"

"Yes, and they're dangerous. You should head home before it gets any worse."

The girl turned away. "This is my home now. I can't go back. I don't wanna hurt anyone…"

"…What?"

"Arendelle is safer with me staying up here."

"Not safer for _you_!" Sora responded as Elsa began to walk away.

Suddenly, at Elsa's command, a massive wall of ice sprung up between her & them, keeping them from following as she ran off into the darkness…

"She'll probably be okay" Goofy tried to reassure Sora. "Seems like she's pretty strong."

"She really wants to be alone" Donald added. "You gotta let her go."

"Does she _really_?" Sora replied. "I just… wanna know why she was so sad."

"And how is it any of _your_ business?" a new female voice spoke up. "Read the room, kiddo."

They turned to see a young woman in an Organization coat, with golden-blonde hair and Xehanort-yellow eyes.

"Larxene…" Lea drew his Keyblade, the others readying themselves as well.

"Axel…" she purred. "Axel's 'Somebody', rather. Still wearing our colors even after betraying us?"

"Organization XIII weren't the first to create the black coat; the Master of Masters was. Xemnas' little gang just co-opted it."

"Hmph." She looked at Sora, Donald, & Goofy. "Marluxia told me how you three don't have your memories of our first meeting, but you've learned all about it via secondhand sources. _This_ time, I'll make sure you never forget me… And don't you worry; _we'll_ take care of Elsa."

"Why are you after her?" Cure Sunny's fists sparked with flame for a split-second.

Larxene sighed. "We're not gonna hurt her. But we're not about to put up with _your _meddling. Stay here and behave yourselves."

She pointed a palm out, firing a wave of lightning and darkness that struck the ice wall Elsa had conjured, shattering it. The ice, now wreathed in dark power, swirled around in the air and then surrounded the five heroes, hiding them from view. Space twisted and roiled as a bit of charged power Xigbar had lent Larxene added some spatial manipulation to the whole affair, creating a pocket dimension.

When the mist settled, the quintet found themselves trapped in a mansion-like labyrinth of ice, much bigger on the inside.

"Anybody see a way out?" Goofy asked.

"Not me" Donald replied.

"Well," Sora said, "we can't stay here."

"Elsa's in _real_ trouble now" Lea said. "Larxene said she wouldn't hurt the girl, but she's always been kind of a sadist…"

"But judging by her eyes," Cure Sunny replied, "she's a vessel for Master Xehanort's essence already. She might not be _capable_ of going against his orders."

The quintet started trying to make their way through the frozen labyrinth, coming upon a room with a pair of ice 'trees'. A flock of Flutterings awoke as they sensed intruders, the bat-like Heartless swooping down at them. Donald's Thundaga took out about half of them and stunned the rest, letting Sora & Lea swat the survivors.

They smashed their way through a barricade of ice that looked like branches of lightning frozen solid, making their way down a hall and up a stairway. A few Soldiers tried to ambush from a side room, but Lea's chakrams quickly cut them to ribbons. Another side chamber contained a squadron of Gold Beats, a Parasol Beauty, and a Satyr. While Lea, Donald, & Goofy took care of the little flyers, Sora and Cure Sunny went for the two heavies. Sora circled around the Parasol Beauty, dodging its shots, then closed in and hammered it with Keyblade strikes and close-range Fire blasts, wearing it down and destroying it. Meanwhile, Cure Sunny overpowered the Satyr, pummeled it hard enough to dent its armor, and blasted it in the face with a fireball, killing it.

Down a frozen hallway and up another flight of stairs, they found themselves in a huge chamber dominated by an ice spire in the middle. As they entered, however, the spire retracted into the floor, and a squad of Nobodies spawned in – humanoid, with long yellow spikes for hands & feet, wearing dark-gray bodysuits white straps around the chest, gray hoods with the Nobody emblem over the face, with white scarves and gray sash belts.

These half-dozen new Nobodies – 'Ninjas' – scattered at great speed and started flipping around, dodging the fireballs Donald and Lea shot at them. Sora brought his Keyblade up to dodge a stabbing strike from a Ninja's spiky arm, while Cure Sunny leapt and rolled to avoid the kunai of solid Lightning magic two more of them were flinging at her. Goofy nailed the Ninja attacking Sora with a shield throw to the back of the head, stunning it and letting Sora pummel it with Keyblade blows until it came apart into wisps of white.

Lea got in close to a Ninja and landed a few blows, but the Nobody then electrified itself to force him back. Of course, that didn't save it from a Firaga to the face that finished it off. Cure Sunny came down foot-first on a Ninja's head, crushing its skull, and launched a Sunny Fire blast at another Ninja, weakening it for a Blizzara blast from Donald to finish the job. The remaining two Ninjas tried skating around and flinging electro-kunai at the heroes, but Donald & Sora's Reflega barriers stopped the projectiles, and a Zero Gravira from Donald then hoisted both Nobodies into the air, leaving them helpless for Sora & Lea to take out with Strike Raids.

Inspecting the huge central pillar, Sora gave it a spin. In response, the entire room began to rotate, shifting its position in the labyrinth, revealing a new passageway. They slid down an icy slope, Lea quickly taking out a pair of Dusks waiting for them at the bottom, and then dove down to an even lower level. Soon they came upon another large room, this one with two large pillars, with another squad of Ninjas waiting for them. Sora was enveloped in a red flash as he assumed his Valor Form, his boosted physical abilities letting him catch up to the quick & agile Nobodies and slash them apart easily, with Cure Sunny and Goofy getting the few he left.

A little experimenting with the two central pillars made the room's outer rings rotate, forming a new opening leading to a high chamber with a sharp slope upwards, a doorway at the top. The quintet made their way up, using magic-powered leaps and chi-based surface clinging to scale up to a higher tier of the massive labyrinth. One more big room with a central pillar and another squad of Ninjas awaited them, and this time Sora went with Wisdom Form, using supercharged magic to clear the room with Lea pitching in to help.

Rotating the room revealed a new passage leading to a glowing rail of enchanted ice. The quintet slid along the rail, which carried them through the labyrinth and into a massive elevator chamber… which, of course, was guarded by yet another squad of Ninja Nobodies. With the monsters vanquished, everyone got aboard the central elevator, which carried them to the top floor of the labyrinth. Down a hallway, they found a shimmering purple portal.

"_Finally_!" Donald said. "Let's get outta here!"

The five stepped through the portal, finally emerging back into normal space. Less time had passed outside than within the labyrinth, but it had definitely gotten darker out since before they got pulled into that subspace realm. Some of the clouds overhead had cleared, giving them a beautiful view of an aurora high up in the sky.

"We gotta find Elsa before the Organization does!" Sora said. "Come on!"

The quintet started making their way up the mountain, fighting through a flock of Flutterings along the way, using magic & chakra to scale up the cliffsides. After a long climb and a few more Heartless packs, they finally, _finally_ got up to more level ground closer to the mountaintop. And as they fought their way through the freezing winds…

"Does anyone hear… singing?" Cure Sunny asked.

…

After an amazing spectacle, the gang found themselves standing in front of a massive ice palace/castle created by the now-liberated Elsa's powers, the sky overhead clearer.

"I don't know what we just saw," Sora said, "but… _Wow_… That… was Elsa?"

"She looked different" Donald said.

"And a lot happier, too" Goofy added.

"It's like a weight's been taken off her shoulders" Cure Sunny remarked. "And it looked like as she stopped fighting her powers & her emotions, her control over her powers improved."

"Why don't we drop in and say hello?" Sora suggested.

As they started toward the stairway leading up toward the palace, however, a corridor of darkness sprang up in front of them, Larxene emerging.

"_Please_ don't tell me that you're spying on her now" she remarked.

Sora scoffed. "Don't turn this around on us. _You're_ following her."

"Ooh. Look at _you_ get all sassy. Okay, I'll admit: Elsa is a person of interest to us. Maybe she's one of the seven pure lights we need – the New Seven Hearts. Gotta make sure, though. Fortunately, we're in the best position to tell. Can't pick out that 'special glimmer' unless you're standing in the shadows." She turned to look at the castle. "And _maybe_… Elsa _doesn't_ have it. I mean, just look at how icy her palace is – made of magic she forced herself to keep hidden until now. What if it's _dark_ magic?"

"Elsa would never rely on the darkness!"

"You're in no position to say that; you barely know her! …Actually, it's still too early to call. Depends on how _she_ sees it. If she believes that her magic is darkness, that's what it will become. Accepting her power, whatever it is, is the only way she can set her heart free. So what will Elsa accept? Light, or darkness? I know _I_ wanna know!"

Sora growled. "Well, good for you, but guess what? I won't let her fall to darkness!"

"It's _her_ choice to make, not yours! You know, I'm starting to understand why she gave you the cold shoulder…"

She raised her hand up, crackling with dark & lightning magic. Casting her hand forward, she conjured a continuous wave of powerful wind tinged with static charge, zapping at the five heroes and trying to blow them away. Lea tried firing a few fireballs at her, but the wind extinguished them before they could reach her. Sora groaned as he tried to fight the mighty gale.

"You wanna help her?" Larxene said. "Then stop trying to be her hero! Let her figure things out her own way!"

She started blasts of lightning amongst the wind, striking at the snow beneath the heroes' feet. Finally, they lost their footing and were blown away, falling down off the mountain…

_-Break_-

Further down the mountain, at the base of a snowy slope, the five heroes groaned as they pulled themselves up out of the snow; at least they'd gotten a soft landing…

"Everyone okay?" Sora asked.

"I'm okay…" Donald staggered for a moment, still a bit dizzy.

"All good" Goofy made an 'OK' gesture with one hand while rubbing at his sore head with the other.

"I've been hit harder than that" Cure Sunny remarked, dusting snow off her outfit (which mercifully hadn't dematerialized throughout the whole affair).

"So have I, but it doesn't mean that was pleasant…" Lea griped.

"We should probably go check on Elsa" Sora suggested.

"And make sure Larxene was wrong about her magic" Goofy agreed.

"But don't you tell her what Larxene said" Donald told the youth.

"Huh? Why not?"

"Well, to keep the order" Goofy replied. "We can't let locals know about other worlds unless events force our hands on the matter."

"Yeah, okay…"

Suddenly, everyone heard a deep, ominous rumbling sound. Looking up the mountain, they saw a massive wall of snow appear, speeding down the slope right towards them! Thinking fast, Goody conjured his shield and got himself, Donald, & Sora on top of it, taking off down the slope aboard their 'sled'. Lea, meanwhile, used his newest trick to summon his Keyblade Glider, a hoverboard-type like Ventus', and he & Cure Sunny hopped aboard, flying down the slope alongside the "main" trio. As they flew down the slope, Goofy chanced a look back, and saw what looked like a trio of winged serpents made of ice, with wide wings that spun like propellers or drills, and a familiar emblem on their foreheads.

"There are Heartless inside the avalanche!" he shouted to the others. "Big ones!"

As they sped down the slope, the Heartless – Frost Serpents – started firing sweeping ice-beams at them, forcing them to take evasive maneuvers while making sure those movements didn't slow them down enough for the avalanche the catch them. Finally, they made a long jump over a gap that the avalanche couldn't cross, leaving the Heartless in the dust. The next couple minutes were a somewhat more leisurely sled down the snowy slopes, weaving through trees and such.

When they finally reached level ground again, the three Frost Serpents (or perhaps three different ones) emerged from beneath the snow. One flew high and started sending twisters of freezing wind at the heroes, while another went to ground and tried to crush them with its jaws. Sora was enveloped in blue as he took his Wisdom Form, starting to fling enhanced Firaga and Thundaga spells at one of the Frost Serpents. Meanwhile, Lea and Cure Sunny put their fire-type powers to good use against the frozen Heartless, Lea's chakrams blowing one's wings off while Cure Sunny ripped/melted off another's tail. Sora finished off his opponent with a Firaza straight to the face, killing the icy Heartless. A shield-throw from Goofy stunned another Frost Serpent, leaving it unable to avoid a falling slash from Lea's Keyblade that took its head off. The last Heartless tried to flee, but Cure Sunny came down on it from above with a fiery punch that shattered its head.

Unfortunately, a _fourth_ Frost Serpent appeared. And rather than fight the heroes who'd felled its comrades, it flew up and slammed itself into a snow-covered slope just up the hill, setting off another avalanche. This time, the quintet were unable to escape in time, being carried away…

-_Break_-

"Wow…" a voice said. "Look at all the pretty colors! There's blue, and green – ooh, I love green! And some red, and hey look – black! Just like my buttons. Hmm? Silly spiky grass; gimme back my foot!"

Groaning softly, Sora came to and was met by a sight that was weird, even for him – a little snowman waddling away. Shaking himself away, the youth got to his feet, followed by his four teammates.

"Hey, did you guys see that snowman?" he asked.

"Snowman?" Goofy looked confused, picking snow out of his ear.

"Yeah. And here's the funny thing: he was walking and talking."

"Huh?" the other four looked to each other.

"Everybody knows snowmen can't walk" Donald replied. "You must've imagined it."

"I dunno," Cure Sunny said, "dealing with a hidden world of fairies connected to old fairy-tales has left me a bit more open-minded when it comes to that kinda stuff…"

"Well," Goofy said, "if he _was_ real, maybe we'll see him again. But if we don't get goin', we'll never reach Elsa's palace."

"Man…" Lea looked up at the mountain. "We're _way_ far down. We're gonna have a hell of a time gettin' all the way back up to Elsa's ice palace…"

"We'd better get started, then" Sora replied. "Come on."

They started making their way through the snowy tree-filled valley, and as they entered a clearing, they saw a group walking by – a buff young man, a large shaggy-furred deer, a young woman with red hair… and a little snowman, waddling along behind them.

"Ah, I can't _wait_ to meet Elsa" the snowman said to himself. "I bet she's the nicest, warmest, best person ever."

"See?" Sora turned to his friends. "I told you! A walking, talking snowman!"

The excited youth ran over to the little snowman, who was startled by the sudden appearance. Noticing the commotion, the other group-members turned and came back.

"Hello" the girl said. "Olaf, are these your friends?"

"Nope!" the snowman replied. "Never met 'em before."

"I'm Sora!" "Donald Duck!" "And I'm Goofy!" "Lea; keep it memorized." "I'm Akane, or 'Cure Sunny'!"

"I'm Anna" she turned to the young man. "And, I know they're strangers, but… they seem pretty nice to me."

The man sighed. "I'm Kristoff. And this" he gestured to the reindeer "is Sven."

"So," Sora asked, "where are you guys headed?"

"We're going to try and put an end to this crazy winter" Kristoff replied.

"And to do that," Anna continued, "we need to find my sister, Elsa."

"Elsa's… your sister?" Sora's eyes widened.

"What a coincidence" Goofy said. "We're going to see her, too."

Anna gasped. "You know Elsa?"

"Yeah, we ran into her up the mountain" Sora replied. "Um, do you mind telling us what's going on around here? We're worried. We think your sister might be in some trouble."

"Trouble? Are you sure?" Looking into his eyes for a few moments, she sighed and nodded. "All right. I know we've just met, but… Sora, was it? I get the feeling you're someone to trust."

Looking the boy over, Kristoff nodded. "I'm right there with ya."

"I just hope you like long stories…"

"…Ya know, I should go find some moss for Sven. He's looking a little hungry."

As Kristoff led Olaf and Sven away, Anna and Sora sat down on a snow-covered boulder.

"When we were little," she began, "my sister and I used to be really close. But then, one day, for some reason, Elsa just… shut me out. _Years_ passed, and we barely ever saw each other. Then, finally, it was time for her coronation. Let's just say I was… more than a little excited. I thought we'd finally have a chance to talk. But at the party, I did something that made her mad. We got into an argument, and I lost my temper. I was just… so frustrated! And then, well… that's when she used her magic to push me away. In front of the whole crowd. …It was all my fault."

Anna sighed, briefly looking near tears.

"I shouldn't have upset her the way I did – pushed her to reveal the powers she'd kept hidden for so long in front of _everyone_. Elsa ran away because she was frightened. …I _have_ to bring her home."

"I'm sure she knows how much you love her" Sora said. 'And I think,' he realized, 'maybe that's why she looked so sad. It's just like when Riku disappeared. He thought he had to push me away, to protect me. Maybe Elsa's the same…' "If anyone can help her, it's you, Anna."

Seeing Sora's conviction, Anna couldn't help but be a little bolstered by it. "Thanks, Sora."

"Hey, guys!" Kristoff called out, running over. "I need some help!"

"What's the problem?" Sora asked.

"This" he held up a stick with hand-shaped twigs at one end.

"A stick problem?" Donald asked.

"It's not a stick" Kristoff replied. "Well, it _is _a stick, but it – It's Olaf's arm. He's fallen apart again.

"Fallen apart?!" the main trio said in horror.

"Uh, how come you're not upset?" Donald asked.

"Oh, it's no big deal" Anna replied. "He's a snowman. We'll just… put him back together.

"That's it?" Lea asked.

"I gotta see this!" Goofy remarked.

After a little adventure combing the area for the snowman's bits & pieces, they managed to put Olaf back together again.

"Hey, Kristoff," Sora asked, "how'd all this happen, anyway?"

"You know, I'm not sure" the man replied. "These weird animals – well, they were more like monsters – just crashed into Olaf."

Lea sighed. "I knew it."

"The Heartless again!" Donald added.

"The 'Heartless'?" Kristoff said. "And I thought the wolves around here were bad…"

"They're creatures of darkness," Cure Sunny explained, "born when someone's Heart – their soul, basically – is consumed by the powers of darkness, or pulled out and corrupted by other Heartless. The more inherent darkness is in someone's Heart, the bigger and badder their Heartless will be; they can range from weak little cannon-fodder critters come from people with barely any darkness in their Hearts, to huge monsters of incredible power for the Heartless of _really_ evil people."

"Look!" Anna suddenly pointed out. Across the clearing, a pack of Heartless had spawned in – a quartet of Satyrs, a few Winterhorns, and a small flock of Flutterings.

"We know how to handle them!" Sora said as he & his friends conjured their weapons. "We've got plenty of experience swatting Heartless. Anna, Kristoff, keep going while we deal with these things!"

As Kristoff ushered Anna, Sven, & Olaf along, Sora & Donald used a "Flare Force" firework-rocket barrage to take out the Flutterings and a few of the Winterhorns. Lea closed in on one of the Satyrs, striking with a barrage of blows from his Keyblade and finishing by cracking its helmet off and blasting its unshielded face with a fireball point-blank, destroying the Heartless. Goofy used his shield to smash a Winterhorn apart, while Donald stunned a Satyr with Thundara, letting Sora & Cure Sunny bash & slash it to death.

Donald and Lea herded the remaining Winterhorns into one spot, letting Sora & Goofy take them all out at once with "Goofy Bombardier". The last two Satyrs charged like bulls, and the heroes scattered to avoid being trampled. Sora and Lea nailed them with Strike Raids, and Cure Sunny came down on one Satyr's head with a burning heel-drop that crushed its head, destroying it. The lone survivor didn't have time to decide which hero to attack next before Donald & Goofy ganged up on it, shield-strikes and attack spells picking it apart and bringing it down.

"We'd better catch up" Sora said.

The gang started making their way up the mountain. A herd of Winterhorns tried to bar their path, but a huge snowball made for an excellent Heartless-squishing bowling ball that quickly cleared the field (Lea: "Ya missed two on the first pass, Sora. That's a spare."). They were also met with a new variant of the Large Body, the rotund Heartless now clad in horned helmets and with light armor strapped to their bellies that repelled frontal attacks and let them belly-slide along the snow at great speed. Donald used Blizzaga to form an ice ramp, making one Helmed Body go sailing clear over the nearest cliff to plummet, and Lea used his fire magic to melt the snow in another charging Helmed Body's path, leaving it to skid to a stop on the rocky ground beneath, wide open for killing blows from Cure Sunny and Goofy.

After a long climb and several more packs of Heartless, they finally reached Elsa's ice palace again. At the base of the fancy stairs leading to the palace doors, Sven the reindeer had his tongue stuck to the ice.

"Anna and the others must've gone inside" Sora said, while Cure Sunny used a bit of fire magic to melt the ice enough for Sven to get free.

Suddenly, Sora clutched at his chest in pain. As the others crowded around him, he straightened up.

"I'm fine" he told them. "But… I think that something terrible might've just happened."

A few minutes later, the front doors were thrown open from within, revealing a huge bulky giant made of snow with fingers of ice, Olaf grasped in one hand and Anna & Kristoff in the other. The giant sent the two humans sliding down the ice stairs and then chucked Olaf after them. Incensed, Anna picked up a snowball and threw it right at the giant as it was heading back inside… and the beast roared as it made ice spikes sprout from its upper body. It charged down the stairs, heading for Anna & Kristoff, only for Sora's Strike Raid to nail it in the side of the head.

"Over here, Frosty! You guys, get outta here!"

As Anna, Kristoff, Sven, & Olaf made a break for it, Team Sora led the giant snow-golem to a cliffside area in the other direction. Sora & Goofy pulled off a "tree-buchet" attack that stunned the beast, but it recovered quickly. The quintet backed away, weapons ready, as the snow-golem backed them toward a cliff… and then the monster grinned and slammed its icy fists down against the snow-covered ground between it and the heroes. The rocky outcropping Team Sora was standing on suddenly gave way and broke off, sending them all plummeting down below.

-_Break_-

Laying in a him-shaped imprint in the snow far below, Sora had a weary, annoyed look on his face.

"Good thing snow's so soft" he deadpanned. "We could do this a _hundred_ times."

"Let's not" Donald grumbled, shaking snow out of his hat.

"This is getting real old, real fast" Cure Sunny groaned.

"Do you think our friends made it to safety?" Sora wondered.

"I don't think the snow monster got 'em" Goofy replied.

"They probably went back to the palace" Donald said.

"Makes sense" Sora said. "For us, too. We still need to talk to Elsa. Up we go again…"

"You sure we can't call in a dropship to give us a lift?" Lea asked.

"World Order…" Donald replied.

Making their way along the snowy path, they took a drop and came down on a Soldier packs' heads, Sora & Lea converting their momentum into magic-fueled shockwave stomps that took out most of them and left the few survivors easy targets for Donald's magic. A couple more drops brought them down onto a slope leading down to a field of snow-covered trees, with a few packs of Heartless waiting for them along the slope. Grinning, Sora and Cure Sunny got a snowball started and then pushed it down; as it rolled down the slope it continuously grew in size, snatching up and crushing any Heartless in its way, with the heroes following behind to mop up the survivors.

As they reached the bottom, however, in the distance they saw a man in a grey outfit with crew-cut ginger hair trudging through the snow… with an unconscious Elsa slung over his shoulder.

"Who's _that_ guy?" Sora wondered.

"It could be somebody come up from Arandelle come to help her" Goofy suggested.

Sora tried to look harder at the man. "I don't think so; that doesn't look like help to me."

As the man and his out-cold cargo vanished from sight around a copse of trees, the heroes caught sight of flickering dark-purple energy around him.

"Darkness?!" Donald shouted.

Sora closed his eyes, extended his magical-empathic focus, and reeled as he felt as if physically struck by how much malignant darkness, greed, and evil was in the mystery man's Heart.

"That guy's major bad news!" he said. "Let's go!"

As the quintet started down the trail, they were attacked by a mixed pack of Heartless & Nobodies – Dusks, Flutterings, two Parasol Beauties, and a Ninja. Donald cleared out the bat-like Heartless with a quick Thundaga, while Goofy started beating Dusks around with his shield. Lea matched blades with the Ninja Nobody, dodging & blocking its lightning-fast strikes and counterattacking during split-second openings, soon wearing the Nobody down and vanquishing it. Cure Sunny set one Parasol Beauty's parasol on fire, and as the Heartless frantically tried to extinguish its weapon, she closed in and pummeled it until it came apart. Sora handled the other one, a Watera spell knocking it off-balance and a series of heavy blows destroying it.

As they moved down the slope and entered a clearing, there was a sudden blast as the giant snow-golem from earlier appeared, bulldozing through a few fallen trees and marching onwards. Team Sora got in its path to fight it, but it trudged right on past them, calling out for Elsa.

"Hey!" Sora shouted, running alongside. "Are you looking for Elsa, too!?"

Finally noticing the interlopers, the snow-golem snarled and advanced toward them.

"Whoa, easy!" Sora said. "We saw the bad guy who took Elsa, and we wanna save her too! We're on the same side!"

At that, the snow-golem stood down from its offensive posture, looking sad.

"I guess all he ever wanted to do was keep Elsa safe" Goofy supposed.

"Hmm…" Sora pondered for a moment. "We should team up, big guy! The man who took Elsa was brimming with the power of Darkness, and that's something my friends & I have a lot of experience dealing with."

After a moment's thought, "Marshmallow" smiled and nodded.

"One great thing about Sora" Goofy said. "He can always make friends with anybody."

"The DDF sure has quite a few people like that…" Akane said with a grin, thinking of her team leader.

The group, now with an extra (and extra-large) member, pressed onward. Soon, a half-dozen Satyrs appeared, two of them charging at the heroes right from the start. Marshmallow grabbed one of the Heartless, stopping it in its tracks, then used it as a club against the other one, destroying both. Donald used Blizzara to freeze a Satyr's hooves to the snow, letting Cure Sunny wail on it with impunity. Lea hit another Satyr in the face with a fireball, then cut it down while it was blinded. Sora fired a wave of Ragnarok bolts at the last two Satyrs, finishing them off. As they moved on, another squad of Satyrs barred their path. Marshmallow made multiple ice spikes jut out from his upper body and charged, his tackle killing half of the Heartless and leaving the remainder stunned and wounded, easy pickings for Team Sora.

Further along the path, they caught sight of Kristoff being forcibly dragged along by his reindeer. With Marshmallow hanging back, Team Sora ran over to whatever was going on, as Sven used his antlers to toss Kristoff forward, snorting at him.

"_No_, Sven!" Kristoff told him. "We're not going back. She's with her 'true love'."

"Kristoff!"

"Sora? You guys all right?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm glad you guys are safe."

At this point, Team Sora noticed something was missing. "Where's Anna?" Cure Sunny asked.

Kristoff sighed, looking downcast. "She's back at home."

"Something happen?" Sora asked.

"…During an argument with her sister, Anna was struck in the heart by Elsa's ice magic. If the ice magic isn't removed, she'll freeze solid. Forever. Only an act of true love can undo the curse and 'thaw a frozen heart'. So I took her back to Arendelle and her true love, Hans Westergaard."

"But… What about _you_?"

"What _about_ me?"

"Uh, I sorta assumed you two were…"

"Huh? N-No, nooo!" the young man grew flustered. "I just keep her from getting lost."

"Really? Oh, but you seem so…"

"Perfect together!" Goofy chimed in.

"Reminds me of me & Daisy!" Donald added.

"…Wait a second…" Lea got a niggling suspicion. "Kristoff, would this 'Hans' character happen to have ginger hair and a goatee?"

"Um… I think Anna described him that way, yeah. Why?"

At this, the smile dropped off Sora's face. "Oh no… Kristoff, I've developed the power to feel other people's Hearts if they're strong enough with light or darkness. We saw that guy carrying an unconscious Elsa back toward the kingdom, and when I 'sensed' him… His Heart had so much darkness and evil in it, it practically punched me in the face! If Anna's fallen for him, she's made a _huge_ mistake!"

At this, Kristoff's expression filled with worry. "Oh no… Damn it, I _told_ her falling in love with someone and declaring them her 'soulmate' the first day she met him wasn't smart! I was worried maybe he was just someone trying to make nice with royalty to get the perks of that, but if he's as bad inside as you say he is…"

Suddenly, a cold and bitter wind kicked up, forcing the group to shield their faces. The wind seemed to be coming from Arandelle, the flurry of snow making visibility degrade by the second. Hans took off running in that direction, Sven right behind him. Marshmallow came up to the gang.

"Elsa… hurting inside…" the snow-golem rumbled.

"She and Anna _both_ need our help" Cure Sunny said. "Let's go!"

The gang started making their way through the ever-worsening storm, having to use rocky outcroppings as shelter during particularly bad gusts of wind. Realizing the storm was slowing everyone down, Marshmallow had them all gather and walk behind him, his giant body protecting them from the fierce winds. Eventually, the storm seemed to die down, just as they got to a hilltop overlooking the capital, which had dark clouds swirling all around it.

"Hurry!" Sora shouted. "We don't know what could be happening down there!"

-_Break_-

Rushing across the surface of the frozen coast, through the thick mist and fog, Team Sora finally came within visual range of a terrible spectacle. Before their eyes, as Hans swung his deadly blade down at the downed Elsa, Anna threw herself into its path just as the curse on her heart reached its terminus. The girl's entire body was converted into lifeless ice… and the incoming blade shattered to bits when it struck her, a shockwave of magic blasting Hans back and knocking him out.

By the time Team Sora got closer in, Elsa – realizing what had happened – clung helplessly to the frozen body of her sister, sobbing in despair, the ice and snow in the air all frozen in place. However, a few moments later, a spark of light over the frozen Anna's heart grew in brightness and slowly spread across her body. Everyone watched in awe as the icy transformation reversed, returning Anna to flesh & blood. Overcome with shock, Elsa held her sister close, crying in relief.

"Y… You sacrificed yourself… for me…"

"You're my sister" Anna replied. "I love you…"

Olaf gasped. "An act of love will thaw a frozen heart! They never said it had to be _romantic_ love!"

"Well, ain't that _cute…_"

Everyone was caught by surprise by the sudden new voice, as a corridor of darkness opened up, revealing Larxene. Elsa, not knowing who this woman was but already getting bad vibes, immediately took a defensive stance in front of her sister, while Marshmallow brandished his icy claws.

"Two Hearts," the blonde woman said with a sneer, "filled with love and Light… Two of the New Seven Hearts from the same world…"

"New Seven Hearts?" Anna said. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"I'm part of a group trying to set up an ancient ritual that requires a clash between seven Hearts of Light and 13 Hearts of Darkness. We, the Seekers of Darkness, must engage in battle against the 7 Guardians of Light, of which Sora is one. But Sora's side don't have all seven of their Guardians yet, and if they end up unable to pull it off and get their numbers high enough, we'll need a fallback plan – the two of you and five other '_pure-hearted~_' maidens to serve as sacrificial catalysts for the ritual!"

"Leave innocent people out of this!" Sora brandished his Keyblade.

"Oh, look at _you_, tough guy. Even though the last time we fought, not even two years ago, your voice hadn't even broken yet… Well, if you don't want those two to lose their happy ending, you'd better get off your ass and find the remaining Guardians of Light. You'd better get to work "

With that, she vanished through her dark portal.

"What… was that all about?" Olaf wondered.

Lea sighed. "It's a long story."

Suddenly, the group got another unwelcome disturbance as Hans' unconscious form was engulfed in a roiling wave of darkness coming from within him. The man's body was soon engulfed within an orb of black & purple Darkness that rose up off the ground, getting bigger and bigger.

"What's happening?!" Anna asked.

"He's becoming a Heartless!" Goofy said, shield at the ready. "And with how much darkness was in his Heart, it's gonna be a real doozy!"

A pulse of dark power raced out from the orb, and everyone's worlds briefly went white. When they could see again, they found themselves within an enormous dome-shaped pocket dimension, with swirling dark clouds high overhead and freezing wind gusting about.

(BOSS MUSIC: _Kingdom Hearts III _– [Vs. Grim Guardianess / Skӧll / Dark Inferno])

The now-huge orb of darkness finally began to burst as the Heartless within completed its formation. First, a massive tail sprang forth, followed by a pair of huge deadly claws, and finally the main monster emerged. It was an enormous wolf-like monster, with a head, shoulders, and front legs made out of crystalline ice – a face of opaque white ice with glowing yellow eyes and a Heartless insignia on the forehead above a mouth full of huge fangs, snowflake-shaped shoulders with icicle-spikes like bristly fur. The rest of its body was a streaming dark miasma, reaching out into a huge, long, bushy tail. The beast known as Skӧll let out a deafening roar mixed with a wolf's howl, as a freezing wind swirled around it.

"This thing… It might be one of the strongest Heartless I've ever faced!" Sora said, sensing the thing's enormous power level.

"It's absorbed all of Elsa's cast-off magic from the air!" Donald deduced. "That made it even stronger than it was already gonna be!"

"If we don't stop this thing," Cure Sunny said, "it might be able to freeze the entire _continent_!"

"…Anna, Olaf, Kristoff, Sven, head for the outer edge of this place, as far away as you can!" Elsa commanded. "Marshmallow and I will do what we can to help handle this thing!"

"It's gonna be one tough son of a bitch to take down…" Lea said worriedly, readying his Keyblade.

Skӧll snarled and lunged forward, the massive Heartless moving with frightening speed as it swung its huge icy claws. Sora and Cure Sunny managed to dodge, while Elsa formed an ice barrier to protect Donald & Lea and then made it shatter into a wave of ice spears that fired at the massive Heartless; the beast dodged most of them, a glancing blow chipping at the ice of its right shoulder. The monster spat out a few violet-hued fireballs that homed in on their targets, tracking Goofy, Marshmallow, & Lea. Lea disrupted the one coming after him with his own fire attack, Donald blasted the one coming at Goofy with a Watera spell, and Sora threw a Strike Raid to disrupt the fireball heading at Marshmallow.

The massive demon-wolf took off, running along the perimeter of the pocket-realm battlefield, going way too fast for something so huge. Having built up momentum, it then charged at the heroes, forcing them to scatter and snapping at them with its jaws as it passed; Sora took a hit as the huge Heartless swung its head like a hammer, but Marshmallow covered Sora while Donald healed him, the snow-golem slashing at Skӧll with his ice claws.

Lea fired a wave of Fire-type _Sagitta Magica_ at Hans' Heartless, doing a little damage and pissing the thing off. Skӧll howled and released several Wolf Heads – lesser Heartless that, as the name suggests, were like smaller versions of the main Heartless' head with comet-like trailing bodies of Darkness. Sora and Donald conjured a wave of firework-missiles, taking out two of the Wolf-Heads, and when another tackled Marshmallow he grabbed it and slammed it against the ground until it was 'dead'. Goofy's thrown shield stunned a Wolf-Head, letting Elsa envelop its head in conjured snow and then compress to crush it, while Cure Sunny took out the last one with a flaming heel-drop.

Skӧll swept its head from one side to the other while firing an ice beam from its mouth, catching Cure Sunny with it and encasing her in ice. The ice immediately began steaming as she worked to melt her way free, and as the giant Heartless tried to attack her while she was helpless, a 'Goofy Bombardier' from the side caught it off-guard and knocked it aside. Elsa fired another wave of ice spears at the stunned Heartless, while Sora helped defrost Cure Sunny and Donald hit the monster with a Firaga.

The huge Heartless roared and flew high up to the top of the pocket-realm. It seemed to merge with the black clouds roiling overhead, and then a huge storm of giant ice boulders and ice javelins began raining down. Everyone scrambled to avoid and/or intercept the incoming projectiles; Goofy charged magic into his shield and used it to bat away ice chunks bigger than him, Donald and Elsa moved about dodging, Marshmallow and Cure Sunny punched the ones coming at them away, Sora and Lea slashed at some and leapt around others… Getting fed up, Sora fired a few waves of Ragnarok bolts up at the clouds, the Light projectiles slamming into the cloud of Darkness until Skӧll was forced to emerge and come back down.

Hans' Heartless roared and charged, swiping with its huge ice claws at Sora, Donald, & Goofy. Marshmallow came to their aid, shoulder-tackling the big Heartless from the side and starting to wrestle it. As the monster soon began to overpower its snow-golem opponent, ice spears from Elsa struck it in the face, stunning it and letting Marshmallow throw the beast far. Skӧll snarled, getting to its feet, and then was blindsided by a Sunny Fire Burning that blasted the spikes off its right shoulder.

Letting out a demonic roaring howl, Skӧll's body surged with black energy. It started spitting out homing fireballs and deploying Wolf-Heads, while also zipping around and lashing out with fangs & claws at anyone it got in range. Sora rushed it from behind, cutting through a few Wolf-Heads on his way, aiming for a surprise attack… and then the huge Heartless' massive tail abruptly lashed out, slamming into him and sending him flying. He ended up beside Elsa, stunned, and Skӧll then formed & fired a large roiling ball of Darkness and Fire, the deadly blast sailing towards them…

A wall of white suddenly appeared, shielding Elsa & Sora. The fire/darkness blast went off with a mighty explosion, but the two humans were safe. As the smoke faded, they saw Marshmallow looking down at them, arms spread wide, having used himself as a shield, taking the hit to the back. The snow-golem smiled down at them, chunks of snow and ice falling from him, and then he came apart and collapsed into an inert, lifeless pile of snow. Sora was trembling, while Elsa had her hands to her mouth in horror. Marshmallow had given his life to protect them.

Cure Sunny flung another Sunny Fire Burning at the ice-wolf Heartless, joined by a Flare blast from Donald. The monster managed to dodge the first but was nailed by the second, leaving it open for a glowing shield charge from Goofy and a barrage of blows from Lea's Keyblade. Sora, driven by righteous rage, came in next, Keyblade glowing with power as he bashed and slashed as hard as he could, mixing Firaga blasts in with his melee attacks. He finished with a Rasengan that blasted Skӧll back, the ice of the creature's body cracked in places.

Letting out a terrifying roar, the enraged Heartless flew up high and began charging a frightening amount of power, and at the same time it summoned a massive horde of Wolf Heads. Sensing just how much energy this creature meant to gather and unleash upon them, Donald's expression firmed.

"Everyone!" he said. "I have a top-level spell that can end this!"

Goofy gasped. "Donald, no! This situation's too chaotic for the big, lengthy charge time you'd need to pull that spell off safely, and you've already used up enough of your magic that if you fire it straight away now, you could die!"

"What kind of dangerous forbidden ace-in-the-hole do you have, Donald?" Sora asked.

"It's a Fire spell," the duck-mage replied, "the most powerful one in the entirety of the magic system we use."

"…What if Lea & I 'donated' our Fire-type magic to you somehow?" Cure Sunny suggested. "Could that lighten the load enough that we'd all survive?"

After a moment's thought, Donald pondered. "It could work. Let me set up the spell-circle so you two can transfer your mana to me!"

"We'll buy you the time you need" Elsa said.

"Here they come!" Goofy shouted.

The horde of Wolf Heads began their charge, flying through the air like ghostly comets. Elsa started firing blasts and spears of ice at them, while Sora & Goofy did their best to pitch in as well. Behind them, Donald was directing Lea & Akane in helping him forge the spell-circle for a group casting. Goofy threw his shield so that it bounced between and destroyed three Wolf-Heads before returning to him, while Elsa formed mounds of snow into two huge snow-fists which she used to punch and crush any Wolf-Heads that got within range. As Sora released Fira blasts and shattering strikes, he looked up at where Skӧll's charging dark energy orb was growing ever larger.

From above, there was another roaring howl as Skӧll's energy orb – thrice its size – compressed slightly, brightening, and was then fired downward. It began to plummet toward our heroes, aimed to vaporize them utterly. Donald stood in the center of a large spell-circle, with Lea and Cure Sunny standing within two smaller circles inside it. They both felt a draining feeling as their fire-type mana flowed into Donald, whose whole body glowed with power that then concentrated in the head of his staff, which he pointed up at the incoming death-ball.

"Essence of primordial flame!" he incanted. "Burning fury of the heart of a star! Blaze forth, and reduce my foe to annihilation!-! **_ZETTAFLARE_****_!-!-!_**"

For a second, a flash of light compressed into a tiny pinprick at the tip of Donald's staff. Then, the air howled as a blindingly bright beam fired from the mage's weapon – enough raw Fire-type magical power to raze a city, hyper-concentrated into a beam only a meter or so across, giving it unparalleled destructive power. The Zettaflare met Skӧll's incoming massive energy orb, and was only impeded for a second before piercing straight through, destabilizing and dispelling the evil energy. It kept going and crashed into Hans' Heartless dead-center, burning a huge hole all the way through the monster's body. Skӧll's final howl echoed on the wind as the released energies utterly destroyed it beyond even ashes, an explosion of Fire and Dark energy lightning up the subspace's sky.

(MUSIC END)

Standing in a spell-circle whose glow was slowly fading, Donald, Lea, & Cure Sunny panted for breath, feeling drained. There was an echoing cracking sound as the pocket realm began to come apart, and then everyone was engulfed in light. When the light faded, they all found themselves back in Arendelle, atop a ship sticking out of the frozen bay.

"That was… beyond anything I'd ever imagined" Anna said. "I… I can't believe I trusted him…"

Elsa began focusing her power, and before everyone's eyes the world around them began to thaw, snow & ice floating upwards as the bay unfroze. At her command, the ice and snow magic gathered in the clouds overhead, and then dispersed outward, revealing a glowing snowflake sigil and a clear sky. There was a muted flash of red as, exhausted of mana and finally in a warmer climate, Cure Sunny de-transformed, Akane all but collapsing as Anna supported her.

"Hands down," Olaf said, "this is probably the _best_ day of my life…" One of his stick-arms fell off as he started melting. "And quite possibly the last."

"Oh, Olaf!" Elsa panicked, focusing her power again. "Hang on, little guy."

Olaf's body refroze and reformed back to 100%, and a tiny blizzard-storm cloud appeared floating directly over his head, continuously sprinkling snow and freezing air all over him to keep him stable.

"Oh!" he gasped happily. "My own personal flurry!"

"Man…" Sora let himself fall backward with exhaustion. "That was the worst one in a _long_ time… Between Hans' Heartless and Mother Gothel's, I'm really hoping this doesn't become a pattern."

"Because _we've_ gotten stronger," Goofy replied, "our enemies are doing the same, it seems like."

"Well," Elsa spoke up as Kristoff directed the boat towards the shore, "you're all welcome to rest here in Arandelle until you've gotten your strength back. If that 'Larxene' and her allies are strong enough to _command_ monsters like what we just had to deal with, I think you're gonna _need_ to be at full strength…"

Sora nodded. "Thanks. And don't worry; we won't let them use you & your sister to forge the χ-Blade; we'll find the missing Guardians of Light and put a stop to them!"

As the heroes rested, the sun shone down on Arendelle.

**-****_CHAPTER END_****-**

Next Time: Another "new" world


	13. Clear as Crystal

I'm sorry this chapter took so long. Not only have I been juggling multiple tasks, leaving me with less time to work on this chapter, but I always struggle coming up with fight scenes from whole cloth, so those made this chapter take extra-long, too.

**SEE CHAPTER ONE FOR (MOST) DISCLAIMERS**

PLEASE READ & REVIEW, AND TEND TO THE TROPE PAGE

**-****_CHAPTER START_****-**

A crown-shaped magic rune formed on a hilltop overlooking a beach-front town, and a flash of light accompanied four people being teleported in atop the sigil. Sora, Donald, Goofy, & Aqua looked out over the small city and the bay it bordered, and immediately noticed things out of the ordinary. In addition to a few of the buildings, otherwise normal human civilian structures, having hints of an elegant, almost crystalline design, there looked to be an enormous statue of a lower body and legs made of bright pink crystal, 'standing' beside a fancy-looking beachfront house.

"That's an interesting piece of artwork" Goofy remarked.

Aqua called up her Omnitool (standard issue for all DDF personnel by now) and ran a scan. "…It's not a statue. It's a spaceship!"

"I don't see any signs of panic or battle or anything like that" Donald observed. "Maybe whoever that thing belongs to is friendly."

"We might as well go find out" Sora replied. "We'll check in and see how the locals are-"

Suddenly, Aqua summoned her Keyblade – Stormfall, finally reclaimed alongside her Keyblade Armor thanks to Ienzo managing to unlock the chamber containing them in Ansem's lab's basement. She'd also been working on wielding it and the Master Keeper at the same time, though it was proving a bit difficult due to how long and heavy her old master's weapon was…

"I can sense Heartless" she announced. "They just emerged down there, in the town!"

"Let's step on it!" Goofy said. "The folks down there might need our help!"

-_Break_-

As the quartet neared the beachside house, they could hear the sounds of combat. Soon, they saw several figures fighting against various low-tier Heartless (Soldiers, Shadows, Armored Knights, Bizarre Archers, and Flutterings). A heavyset boy projecting a pink hardlight shield from his arm was fighting alongside a brown-skinned girl wielding a large pink sword, the two of them perfectly coordinating their movements as they cut through Heartless. There were also several women with odd colorations fighting alongside the two humans. A tall, rail-thin, pale woman wielding a trident-staff was stabbing and slashing Heartless left & right; a short and stocky girl with a purple hue, wielding a spiked whip against a pack of Soldiers; A tall woman in red, with a visor, power fists, and a square-shaped afro, effortlessly avoiding Armored Knights' strikes and crushing them the moment they left split-second openings for her to exploit; a blue girl wearing a sleeveless top and loose dark-blue pants was psychically controlling water, making spears and hammers to take out Archers and Flutterings; a smaller figure, bright green with a yellow triangular helmet (or was that her hair?) psychically controlling shards of metal to slash and crush Heartless; and a big, stocky woman with greyish-blue skin and multicolored hair crushing Heartless with her bare fists.

"Doesn't really look like they _need_ much help" Donald observed.

"Still," Sora replied, "the Heartless might have some tricks up their sleeve. And we should make a good first impression."

With that, he summoned his Keyblade and leapt into the fray, slashing a couple of Flutterings as he fell and using a Shadow as a landing pad. The local fighters turned in surprise, seeing the newcomer, but when Sora gave them a friendly grin & wave and then cut down two more Soldiers, they realized he was probably not an enemy. The rest of the gang jumped in after him; Donald used Thundara to zap a few Flutterings trying to attack the water-user from behind, Goofy came down shield-fist on a Bizarre Archer, crushing it, and Aqua threw a Strike Raid to cut down a pair of Armored Knights trying to encircle the polearm-wielding woman and then warped herself to her weapon.

With all this heroic firepower directed against them, the Heartless didn't last much longer. Soon, the last one fell, cut into fourths by simultaneous strikes by Aqua and the glaive-wielding local.

"Glad _that_'s over with" the short purple woman said. "So, who are you guys and what the hell were those things?"

"They're called the Heartless" Goofy replied. "They're what happens when someone's Heart – their metaphysical Heart, not the organ – is consumed by the power of darkness, or by other Heartless."

"My friends & allies and I go wherever the Heartless are causing trouble and put a stop to them" Sora said. "I'm Sora."

"Donald Duck!" "Name's Goofy!" "I'm Aqua; nice to meet you."

The heavyset boy with curly hair came over, a friendly grin on his face to match Sora's.

"Good to meet ya then, Sora! I'm Steven. And on behalf of the Crystal Gems: Welcome to Beach City!"

**BEACH CITY**

Once everyone was inside the big (and freshly-repaired) beachside house, the rest of the Crystal Gems introduced themselves – Pearl, Amethyst, Garnet, Lapis, Peridot, Bismuth, Steven's human partner Connie, and Steven's father Greg. Team Sora told what they could about the Heartless and other dangerous creatures, as well as the evil alliance commanding them. In turn, the Crystal Gems told an abridged version of their history, culminating in the recent conflict against the three living Diamonds that ended with Steven winning them over one by one, and all the "corrupted" Gems being purified and returned to sanity. Most of those Gems had chosen to settle here on Earth, in or around Beach City; those Gems were all listening in via comm channel as explanations were passed around.

"Man, you guys are knee-deep in it, huh?" Bismuth remarked.

"More like _neck_-deep" Sora replied.

"Hey, I thought you guys said there was a 'World Order'" Amethyst chimed in. "Wouldn't that stop you from telling us _any_ of this?"

"The Order is in place to keep certain people from knowing there are other worlds" Donald replied. "Seeing as you guys are aliens, that means you _and_ the locals already know. So that gives us enough leeway to give you more details than we normally could."

"So, what's our next move?" Pearl asked.

"Besides handling the Heartless whenever they show up," Aqua replied, "we need to figure out which Seeker of Darkness is skulking around, unless the Heartless found this world on their own. We should also find this world's Heart and seal it so the Heartless can't get to it."

"…I think I might know where it is" Steven said.

-_Break_-

Steven led Team Sora to his mother's fountain, a place brimming with Light and healing magic. Closing his eyes, Sora summoned his Keyblade and extended his focus, being led up to the statue of 'Rose Quartz'. After a few seconds, he opened his eyes just as a shimmering white keyhole appeared at the statue's base.

Holding his Keyblade up, Sora pointed its tip at the keyhole. Light gathered at the tip of his weapon, and then a thin glowing beam shot forth and into the keyhole. There was a sound like a giant lock clicking, and then the keyhole disappeared into mots of white & pink light.

"One less thing to worry about" he said. "Now the Heartless can't devour this world. Of course, we still have to focus on protecting this world's people."

"And my friends & I will help you with that," Steven replied, "every step of the way. Now, come on! It's almost lunch time, and Amethyst makes the _best_ sandwiches!"

**-****_Break_****-**

Later that day, Peridot was putting together a detector to scan for the unique energy signature of Heartless. A few of the recently-purified Gems were hanging around – Crystal Gems, as well as a few Homeworld Gems that the Diamonds stationed on Earth as extra security. One of the latter, however, was not doing anything to interact with everyone else, instead hanging out off to the side, glowering at everyone.

Jasper was not a happy Gem. Learning that Pink Diamond had faked her shattering, that Pink Diamond _was_ Rose Quartz, had come to care for the dirty little organics on this mud-ball, had defied and fought against the other Diamonds, and had ultimately sacrificed her life to bring a Gem/organic hybrid offspring into existence, and that little hybrid had won the other Diamonds over to his & his mother's way of thinking…

"Okay," Peridot said, "that oughtta do it. Now, let's fire it up and see what it can find."

The device she'd constructed was about a meter high and half that width, with a crystalline antenna sticking up out of it pointed skyward, along with a screen to show what the sensor pulses the device released would pick up. She turned it on, and after a few seconds the antenna began to pulse with light. Onscreen, a topographical map of everything within scanning range soon appeared, overlaid with pinpricks of red that showed areas where Heartless were camping out or patrolling.

As a few Gem teams were directed toward Heartless locations in & around Beach City, Peridot noticed and pointed out something odd: a few Heartless signatures right on the edge of the scanner range, over the open ocean just beyond the bay.

"They're in the sea, too?" Goofy said.

"Well," Sora replied, "we know there are aquatic Heartless. Maybe they went out that way to patrol?"

"No," Pearl pointed to the screen, "it looks like they're heading for shore, coming from further out. Peridot, can we increase the range on the scanner?"

"Maybe we can boost it with magic!" Goofy suggested.

"It's not something you can just brute-force by pouring magic in" Donald replied. "Still… I'm pretty sure I could channel a scanning spell into her machine to multiply its range. Should I?"

After a moment's thought, Peridot nodded. Donald came over, incanting a spell as he touched his staff against the scanner. After a few seconds, the scanning antenna glowed brightly and released a supersonic scanning pulse that raced out over the horizons. As the display screen changed, the gang realized he had boosted its range to _hundreds_ of miles, rather than the few dozen he'd expected. And on the outer edge of the scan's range, there was a noticeable Heartless signature coming from the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.

"The middle of the ocean?!" Sora said. "What are they doing way out there?!"

"Looking for something, maybe?" Garnet suggested.

"Whatever reason they're out there for," Goofy said, "we oughtta set sail and take 'em out before they can cause any damage."

"I don't think it'll be that easy" Aqua spoke up, looking at the readings. "According to this, the Heartless out there aren't on the ocean surface. The signal's coming from below – _way_ below…"

Looking at the readings, one of the "purified" Gems quirked an 'eyebrow'. "Why would these 'Heartless' be all the way down on the ocean floor? What's even down there?"

"Maybe a relic or wrecked sunken spaceship from the Gem War thousands of years ago?" Peridot suggested.

"If they're in the ocean," Jasper spoke up, "couldn't Lapis get them?"

The blue Gem shook her head. "I'm more used to surface-level stuff. I can't be precise enough to take out Heartless all the way down near the abyssal plain without causing a lot of collateral damage to the local environment and creatures, maybe causing a tsunami that would do a lot of damage to the coasts…"

"So we need to find a way to go down there and deal with them personally" Donald surmised.

"Which means we not only need to build a submarine that can withstand the pressure at that depth," Pearl said, "but also be able to move & fight down there…"

"Lemme call the royal engineers," Sora suggested, "the ones who built our Gummi Ship. Maybe they've got some ideas…"

-_Break_-

With Chip, Dale, Pearl, & Peridot working together, the heroes only needed a few hours to design and then construct a deep-sea combat submersible, a hybrid of Gummi and Gem technology. It had combat-grade armor and magic-based energy shields, as well as missiles and blasters of the same offensive magic type used in Gummi Ship weapons. It had room for a three-man crew, and was enchanted to pull oxygen from the surrounding water so they could theoretically stay down there for days. It even had launchable beacons to mark points of interest in case the crew saw anything worth note down there besides Heartless.

"So," Amethyst said, "who's goin' down?"

Sora and Aqua looked at each other for several seconds, and then he sighed and backed out while Aqua raised her hand. The young Keyblade Master then thought on who to take with her.

"…Goofy, Garnet, I'd like you two to be my crew for this op."

Garnet nodded, and Goofy saluted.

"Let's go take care of those things before they can cause any serious trouble" the fused-Gem said.

**-****_Break_****-**

("LEVEL" MUSIC: _Star Fox 64 (3D)_ – "Aquas")

As the sub descended through the inky blackness, soon they could finally see the 'ground' in their sights. The sub leveled out around 50 meters above the seafloor, lights shining in different directions.

"The abyssal plain…" Garnet said, seated at the weapons station. "We've been on this planet for millennia, but we've never tried to explore this deep below the waters. It's… desolate."

"There's still life down here" Aqua replied from the pilot's seat. "No matter how deep in the ocean you go, you'll find living creatures. It says something about how adaptive life is…"

"Well," Goofy remarked as he checked the scanners, "we know there's somethin' down here that ain't supposed to be. Might as well get lookin' and clear it out."

"What's that up ahead?" Garnet pointed out.

The sub soon came upon a large mass on the seafloor that was clearly artificial – a mass of wood, dozens of feet long, painstakingly constructed, laid out on its side, broken masts half-buried in the sediment.

"A sunken ship!" Goofy exclaimed. "Looks like it's been down here a while, too."

"A wooden sailing ship…" Aqua said, slightly awed. "This thing's been down here for at least 100 years, probably much more. Do we know which one it is?"

Garnet checked the records. "This wreck is uncatalogued. We're the first people to see this ship since it sank."

"…Place a beacon so we can study it later. We need to keep moving."

Goofy deployed a beacon at the wreck, the little Gummi-based probe flashing softly as it sat in the sediment beside the sunken ship. In response to that disturbance, a pack of "Screwdiver" Heartless emerged from their hiding place inside the shipwreck, charging at the sub with spears brandished. Immediately Garnet opened fire with the sub's magic-bolt blasters, the white bolts of energy lighting up the darkness of the ocean floor as they burned through a few of the Screwdivers.

"Well, we're on the right track…" Aqua remarked.

They pressed on, heading in the direction of the main signal. Soon, they were beset by a type of Heartless not seen before: "Sea Sprites", Heartless in the shape of fish with long, eel-like bodies trailing behind big heads with big jaws full of big teeth. Some of them were blue, some red, some yellow, and some white; scans revealed the three colored ones were imbued with their respective elemental magic (Blizzard, Fire, Thunder). The fish-type Heartless charged at the sub from multiple angles, but Chip & Dale had built in secondary point-defense weapons in addition to the larger-'caliber' forward-facing blasters, allowing Goofy and Garnet to start blasting all of them. Thankfully, these Heartless seemed to be small-fry and couldn't take much punishment.

After clearing out the initial pack of Sea Sprites, the submarine kept following the trail. They encountered a pack of Sea Neons and a Sheltering Zone and blasted their way through; one of the jellyfish-like Heartless tried to cling to the sub, but its shields foiled the Heartless' grip and left it easy prey. As they advanced, the scanners soon picked up a hotspot of activity up ahead in the darkness. However, instead of a pack of Heartless, they soon came upon a swarm of creatures – crabs, isopods, even deep-sea sharks – congregating around a huge dark-gray mass on the seafloor.

"What the heck's that?" Goofy asked.

"Whale-fall" Garnet replied. "Sometimes, when a whale dies, its corpse sinks to the bottom of the sea, where it becomes a buffet for the creatures down here. …That is the biggest goblin shark I've ever seen."

They pressed onwards, fighting through a few more packs of lesser Heartless. Finally, the scanners picked up something that soon came into visual range, 'illuminated' by the sub's lights half-buried in the sediment: a small ship (half-again the size of the sub) of obviously Gem construction, with a faded symbol on the side.

"That's… the old emblem of the Crystal Gems" Garnet said with shock. "From back during the Great War against Homeworld. It's one of our old ships!"

"I'm picking up something from inside" Goofy said, looking at the scanners. "It's really weak. Does this look familiar to either of ya?"

He forwarded the scan data to Aqua and Garnet's terminals, and the latter gasped. "It's… It's the signal from dormant, 'poofed' Gems. After all this time, trapped in a slagged ship at the bottom of the ocean… they're still alive."

"That must be why the Heartless are down here" Aqua said. "They must've sensed the presence of the dormant Hearts. Let's get them out of there before the Heartless find them."

"Something big just popped up on radar" Goofy suddenly announced. "It's headin' for us!"

(BOSS MUSIC: _Star Fox 64 _– "Boss B")

Heralded by a quartet of glowing yellow eyes, a massive shape loomed out of the darkness. The Heartless that emerged, looking like a cross between an anglerfish and the "opee sea killer" from _Star Wars Episode I_, was at least twice the size of the sub, covered in purplish-black thick hide with bits of chitinous armor. It had a pair of anglerfish-like feelers ending in two glowing red orbs that crackled with evil energy, and when it opened its mouth wide (_way_ too wide…), it appeared to have two sets of huge shark-like teeth.

"Well," Goofy said with a nervous gulp, "I'm sure glad now that Peridot decided to overengineer this thing in terms of combat ability."

The huge Heartless, hereafter referred to as the "Deep Dweller", rushed at the sub with jaws wide, and Aqua immediately jerked the craft to the side, barely avoiding being crunched. As soon as they got a bearing on it, they opened fire, mana bolts peppering the Heartless' chitinous hide. The Deep Dweller wove around in an attempt to shake the sub off, and it raised its two lure-stalks which glowed with gathering power. After a few seconds, it released a pair of big crackling orbs of red & purple Darkness energy that curled out and came at the sub, forcing them to break off their attack and take evasive maneuvers. They managed to blast the incoming energy orbs with rockets to destabilize them, the resulting flashes briefly lighting up the inky blackness.

The Deep Dweller turned around to face the sub again, spitting out a wave of water 'bullets', the high-velocity concussive projectiles zipping through the water towards the sub with alarming speed for being in such a high-pressure environment. The sub's shields flared as it took some hits while making evasive actions, returning fire with mana blasters and a few missiles. The beast let a growl that was more felt than heard as it took damage, flinging a few more 'torpedo orbs' from its antennae and also opening its mouth wide and disgorging a small school of Sea Sprites. The sub was soon boxed in – unable to take sufficient evasive maneuvers to dodge the orbs because of the Sea Sprites attacking it, and unable to bring its arms to bear properly against the Sea Sprites because of having to try to avoid the orbs.

"Aqua" Garnet suddenly spoke up. "I have control?"

"…You have control" Aqua nodded.

The Keyblader relinquished piloting control to her fused-Gem ally, who opened the throttle and zoomed the sub toward a tight grouping of Sea Sprites. At the last second she tilted the sub on its 'side' and slipped between the little Heartless, who then took the tracking energy orbs head-on, destroying most of them. She then fired a few missiles that locked onto and struck the Deep Dweller's tailfin, damaging it and compromising the big Heartless' ability to maneuver. The big Heartless, its movements now slower and less precise than before, charged at the sub with jaws wide while the heroes were busy mopping up the Sea Sprites, and Garnet just managed to get them out of the way in time, snapping off a few shots at the monster as it passed.

"I've got a plan" she told Goofy & Aqua. "It'll be risky, but I think it's our best shot on taking this thing out. Listen up…"

The two parties jetted around in the darkness, firing shots at each other, for another couple minutes. A mana bolt from the sub's cannons managed to take out one of the Deep Dweller's eyes, and the beast roared and oriented itself to charge straight at the sub again. The Heartless fired two of its orbs again, but this time the sub kept charging; they both hit, and its shields were completely drained but the armor held strong. The Deep Dweller closed in, opening its massive jaws wide…

…And, at the last second, the sub fired a pair of missiles right down its throat. The warheads went off inside, ravaging the Deep Dweller's insides. The giant fish Heartless seized and flailed, its body soon coming apart into wisps of Darkness that dissolved and vanished in the blackness of the ocean floor.

(MUSIC END)

"Phew!" Goofy wiped his brow. "Glad _that_'s over with! Now, let's go an' rescue those Gems."

**-****_Break_****-**

When the sub returned to the surface with a handful of dormant Crystal Gems in toe, the other CGs were stunned speechless. Apparently, being in dormant/"poofed" state so deep below the ocean had protected them from the Diamonds' corrupting attack, but the positions they'd ended up in inside the sunken, twisted wreck had prevented them from reforming all this time. Thankfully, they were soon restored, and Pearl & Bismuth set about giving them the very lengthy explanations of everything they'd missed. Meanwhile, Sora was surprised to learn that Heartless could operate in such an extreme environment as the bottom of the ocean.

The next day, the gang was hanging out on the beach just outside the Crystal Gems' house, having a little barbecue with Steven's father Greg manning the grill. Steven was taking a quick break from playing in the water with Connie, Sora, & Amethyst, Goofy and Bismuth were talking about shields, and Aqua is still in her normal attire (she owns a bikini, but is a little too shy to just go showing off her sizable bust like that).

Pearl sighed as she kicked back in a beach chair. "It _is_ nice to just lay around in the warm sun once in a while" she said.

"…Then why do I suddenly feel a chill?" Peridot replied, eyes widening.

Aqua snapped to attention. "It's not a physical feeling" she said, her tone serious. "I know, because it's something I'm familiar with by now. There's a Dark presence nearby. And it's powerful."

At that, everyone in earshot got on guard, followed by everyone else as they saw or felt the tension; Sora came out of the water, ready to summon his Keyblade at a moment's notice. All was quiet and still for a few seconds. Then, Steven abruptly formed his pink hardlight shield and put himself between Donald and a few high-velocity thrown knives that shimmer with dark power, his protection deflecting the deadly projectiles. A few seconds later, everyone hears soft chuckling.

"Good situational awareness, boy" a tenor voice said.

Steven scowled. "It's something I've developed out of necessity. Why don't you show yourself, whoever you are?"

In response, the air shimmered in a certain spot several meters away, the shimmers taking on a diamond-shaped pattern. A figure appeared with a red cape/shawl over a diamond-patterned white bodysuit, with unnaturally pale skin and white hair that covered one of his eyes. The Crystal Gems all drew their weapons as they recognized the 'man' from the dossiers Team Sora had shown them: Ghirahim.

"Why are _you_ here?" Aqua near-growled, Keyblade in a defensive ready stance.

"Well," the humanoid demon replied with his usual calm smirk, "I sensed something on this world and came to investigate. …Hmph. Since their previous incarnations were known as the 'Princesses of Heart', I never imagined one of the New Seven Lights would be a _boy_."

He looks at Steven as he says this. In response, Sora, Donald, & Goofy draw their weapons and take position between the two.

"New… Seven Lights?" Amethyst tilted her head.

"Ah, they didn't get to _that_ part yet, did they? Well, basically, the ritual to re-forge the χ-Blade requires seven Hearts of Light to clash with 13 Hearts of Darkness. In the event that the seven 'Guardians of Light' – Sora and his friends – are unable to put up enough of a fight against us to fulfill the conditions, we have a contingency plan: utilize seven pure-Hearted individuals from across the Realms as sacrificial catalysts for the ritual to forge the χ-Blade!"

At that last 'sacrificial' part of the explanation, all of the Crystal Gems immediately drew weapons and got ready to throw down, glaring hatefully at Ghirahim.

"You're _not_ taking Steven" Pearl snarled.

"Well my dear, you'd best hope that Sora and his little friends manage to fulfill their part so I won't _have_ to come for the boy."

"Right, that's great and all" Sora frowned. "Now if that's all, you'll be going now."

"Oh, _no_~" Ghirahim took a pose that somehow looked like he was lounging on an invisible sofa while still standing. "You see, in addition to seeking one of the New Hearts, I am so _terribly _bored. I haven't had a good fight in _ages_!"

(BOSS MUSIC: _Legend of Zelda Skyward Sword _– "Ghirahim Battle 1")

He snapped his fingers, and suddenly a shimmering bronze-hued barrier sprang up, encompassing an area with him at one end and Aqua – who was closest to him – at the other. The Keyblade Mistress overcame her shock and got ready.

"I do hope" Ghirahim said as he conjured his long, thin blade "that you can entertain me, 'Master Aqua'…"

"That smirk will drop off your face pretty quick once your head's dropped off your shoulders" Aqua replied.

Ghirahim chuckled, and then the two of them rushed at each other, meeting in the middle with the loud clang of blade against blade. For several seconds they exchanged blows, and then leapt back from each other while flinging bolts of Light and Darkness at each other that they blocked with shimmering magic barriers. Ghirahim formed and threw a wave of diamond-shaped daggers that Aqua rolled to the side to dodge, and as she came out of her roll with one fluid motion she fired two Blizzara shots in quick succession. Ghirahim twirled to the side to dodge the first and bent over backward to dodge the second. Aqua then flash-stepped in before he could right himself and landed a kick to his side that would've snapped a normal man's ribs, sending him tumbling.

Bringing himself to a halt and straightening up, Ghirahim rushed back in with a flurry of sword strikes, and Aqua gave ground as she went on the defensive. The moment she saw an opening, Ghirahim extending his sword a bit too far to the right for a split-second, Aqua dispelled her Keyblade, wove in and dealt a series of jabs to Ghirahim's face and upper chest, and kicked him away while re-summoning her blade. Ghirahim then vanished in a warp, reappearing behind Aqua, grabbing and flipping her end over end for a few meters.

Shaking the cobwebs out of her head, Aqua extended her will into the nearby ocean waves and cast Waterga, the sun-warmed salt water surging up first into a person-sized orb of water and then shooting out as a torrent with enough force to dent steel, lunging at Ghirahim like a striking snake. The demon-man braced himself as the attack hit like a truck, knocking him back and obscuring him from view. As the attack was ebbing away, though, a pair of diamond-knives shot out from the mist; Aqua dodged one, while the other cut a narrow slice across her upper arm that she quickly patched up with Cure.

Ghirahim emerged, soaking wet, a frown on his face that then became a satisfied smirk. He warped in, and this time Aqua brought her Keyblade up to block his strike. He managed to nail her with a left cross to the face, but she rolled with the blow and countered with a palm-thrust to the gut that shoved him back a couple feet. He managed to bring his sword up to block her follow-up Keyblade swing, and then gave ground while blocking the successive strikes she made. Getting a feel for her pattern, he used the split-second opening between swings of her Keyblade to warp back a few meters to throw off her groove and then closed back in, pressing his assault again.

Back and forth they went, exchanging blows and spells, switching off between who was attacking and who was defending. Now, as they broke off from another exchange, both of them panting lightly, Aqua decided to pull out a few of the newer tricks she'd learned recently. First, she extended her chakra into the leftover water from her earlier attack, which took the form of a pair of _Mizu Bunshin _/ Water Clones. As they went for Ghirahim, Aqua started channeling magical power, motes of blue light combining in an orb that steadily grew larger and larger.

Finally, once the attack was charged, Aqua signaled her Water Clones, who stopped dodging & harassing Ghirahim and abruptly worked together to bash him her way, the final double-kick sending him flying toward the 'original'. As Ghirahim closed in, Aqua pushed the orb of magic forward and then punched it, releasing the technique she'd picked up from her teammate Subaru:

"Divine _Burst_!"

(MUSIC END)

The directed blast of magical energy blew Ghirahim back with great force, the shockwave shattering the barrier he'd erected around the two of them. Groaning as he got to his feet, Ghirahim then let out a short, gleeful laugh.

"Marvelous!" he said. "Such grace, such beauty, such skill, such crushing _power_! Oh, if I weren't a physically-sexless being incapable of feeling sexual attraction… Well, call me entertained! It's been far too long since I had to work so hard against such a skilled opponent. Now then, I suppose I should go check on the others, help find the other Seven Lights, maybe see how Xigbar's little box-hunt is progressing. Ta-ta~!"

The demon-man bowed and then vanished through a Corridor of Darkness. Aqua dispelled her Keyblade as the others ran over.

"That was so cool!" Sora said excitedly. "You matched him blow for blow!"

"He wasn't going all-out in that fight" she replied. "Then again, neither was I… Mr. Universe, what's the E.T.A. for the barbecue? I'm _really_ hungry now…"

**-****_Break_****-**

The heroes, both local and traveler, are a bit worried. Clouds have rolled in, diluting the sunlight over the town and turning the sky whitish-grey. And the air seems to carry a cold, almost oppressive aura that was _not_ just because of the weather, but something more metaphysical. Furthermore, a few of the Gems whom the now-reformed Diamonds had stationed on Earth to help the Crystal Gems keep things together hadn't checked in for a couple hours. Jasper, Calcite, and Jade had been sent out on patrol together, keeping an eye out for Heartless, but they seem to have dropped off the grid…

Suddenly, as the overhead clouds started darkening, the heroes sensed a dark presence. The "core" Crystal Gems (Steven, Connie, Pearl, Garnet, Amethyst, Lapis, Peridot, & Bismuth) and the quartet of Team Sora headed toward where the 'signal' was strongest, the hills bordering Beach City. As they reached a spot just over the hill from town, a lone figure emerged from the shadows of some trees: Jasper… with a wispy purple & black aura of Darkness faintly clinging to her. Seeing and sensing the Darkness, Sora & Aqua instinctively summoned their Keyblades. Steven steps forward, curious and worried; Sora, Lapis, & Peridot come up right behind him, ready to protect him at a split-second's notice.

"Jasper? What's… wrong?"

In response, the burly Gem gave the boy a look of such _hatred_ that he reflexively staggered back.

"_Everything_" Jasper snarled. "All because of _you_, and your _cursed_ mother… Finding out that the 'glorious' Pink Diamond, the one I'd devoted my _life_ to, _betrayed_ Homeworld, came to _care_ about this ugly little mudball and the dirty, gone-in-a-blink fleshlings scurrying around on it! That she gave her life to bring an abominable little _hybrid_ into the world! That the filthy little half-blood _corrupted_ the other Diamonds, made them and _everyone_ else think of anything less than _conquering _and _eradicating_ you wretched little carbon-based lifeforms…!"

By now, the black aura was more pronounced, and Jasper's irises had turned gold. She held up one of her hands, showing a pair of gemstones clutched in it: the dormant, "poofed" forms of Calcite and Jade. Then, with a 'pulse' of Darkness racing down her arm, she closed her fist, and there was a horrible crunching, splintering sound. After a second, she opened her hand to let fall a mess of shattered splinters of crystal. The various heroes reacted with stunned horror; Jasper had just _murdered_ Calcite and Jade right before their eyes.

(BOSS MUSIC: _KH Birth by Sleep _OST – "Extreme Encounters")

Jasper leapt forward, pounding her huge fists to the ground upon landing to release a shockwave that buckled the earth. As everyone got ready to fight, a huge magic barrier suddenly sprang up around the area – ovoid in shape, around 100 meters long and a third that the width, with Sora, Steven, Lapis, & Peridot trapped inside one end of the ovoid, Jasper several meters in front of them. The other heroes gasped and tried to pound at the barrier; someone or something was keeping them out, keeping them from interfering.

Reaching down to the earth she'd fractured, Jasper pulled up a hunk of soil bigger than she was and hurled it at the heroes. Sora cast Reflega to protect them, then he circled wide and came at her from the side at the same time Lapis took water vapor from the air and launched it as solid-water kunai from the front. Jasper, being a very durable Gem, brought an arm up to block Sora's Keyblade strike while letting Lapis' projectiles hit her to almost no effect. Sora tried to follow up with a flurry of blows, but Jasper hardened her arms and blocked them all, and then she launched him back with a kick.

"Jasper, you really can't let this go?!" Steven shouted.

"Forget it, Steven" Lapis replied, glaring at their foe. "On top of her hateful racism – speciesism – whatever – she just _murdered_ two of her own kind over this whole thing. There's no reasoning with someone who's this far gone."

They then had to scatter as Jasper came down on them head-first, trying to crush either of them with her armored helmet. Peridot was at the far end of the battlefield, deep in concentration, both palms pressed to the ground for some reason. Jasper went to go for her, only for Sora and Lapis to double-team her with his Keyblade and her bo-staff made of ice, battering at her guard. The big Quartz Gem gave ground, and the moment she saw an opening she hit Lapis' staff with a palm-strike that sent cracks spreading through it and knocked her back, then stomped the ground to throw off Sora's footing so she could grab and judo-throw him away several meters.

"A fancy ancient weapon doesn't mean much when it's a feather-weight fleshling wielding it" she growled.

"Hey, I've been bulking up on lean muscle lately" Sora said, cross.

"I can bench-press a _truck_, brat!"

Suddenly, the earth near Peridot buckled as two large masses of silvery-grey material broke free from beneath the ground, floating beside her.

"This iron ore was pretty deep underground" Peridot said with a little smirk. "Bringing it up here took a while."

She then magneto-kinetically 'launched' one of the masses of iron right at Jasper, nailing her hard enough to send her tumbling end over end. As Peridot recalled her impromptu weapon, Jasper sprang to her feet with a bestial snarl, curling into a ball and extending her mane of wild hair into a spiky shield surrounding her body. She rushed at Peridot while spinning at high speed, her hair making her into a deadly crushing buzzsaw. But then Steven was there, bracing himself and forming his shield, holding it at an angle. The boy strained as instead of stopping Jasper's charge cold, he redirected it, sending the hostile Gem airborne. While Jasper was vulnerable, Lapis pelted her with ice 'bullets', and then Sora – launched high by the water-wielding Gem – came to the peak of his 'flight' above Jasper and formed a Reflect barrier in midair that he then launched himself off of at a downward angle. Even blocking Sora's Sonic Blade, the force of the attack sent Jasper careening down hard enough to leave a crater.

(MUSIC END)

As the dust settled, Jasper staggered to her feet, obviously in pain even as her rage was as strong as ever. The black & purple aura around her was bigger and wilder than before, and her eyes were glowing with rage and Darkness.

"This can't…" she spoke in a low, ragged tone. "This can't be happening! I am the Ultimate Quartz! I can't lose to two Defectives, a cocky fleshling with a giant key, and the traitor's half-blood spawn! _I won't let the glorious empire Gem society has built up be corrupted like this!-! I WON'T LET IIIIIT!-!-!_"

With a roar, Jasper was engulfed in a huge black aura, her eyes glowing yellow. Then, black 'smoke' and wisps of red, black, & purple Darkness began pouring into and out of her, and soon Jasper disappeared from view in a roiling orb of Darkness. The orb began to grow, an evil wind surging around it, as overhead the clouds darkened.

"What's happening?!" Steven asked. "Is her corruption coming back somehow?!"

"No" Sora replied, deadly-serious. "It's worse. Jasper's turning into a Heartless!"

The Crystal Gems outside gasped, while Aqua, Donald, & Goofy looked on with concern.

"Sis…" Amethyst muttered. "You really couldn't let go of your hate after all?"

(CLIMAX BOSS MUSIC: _Kingdom Hearts III _– [Davy Jones / Dark Baymax battle])

The mass of swirling Darkness parted to reveal a monster. The Heartless that was once Jasper was quadrupedal, its bulky muscled body a mix of amber, red, and black with a faint crystalline sheen. Claws of sharp crystal were at the ends of its four limbs, and a ridge of large spikes ran down its back, crackling with dark power. A helmet with two huge bull-like horns made of yellow crystal sat atop its large head, over glowing yellow eyes and a big, jagged mouth that let out a bestial growl. Overall, it reminded Sora of the "Behemoth" Heartless type, except a little bigger, gem-themed, and it 'felt' _much_ stronger.

"Ohhh boy…" Peridot murmured.

With a roar, the "Crystal Crusher" charged, surprising the heroes with how fast it could accelerate. As they scattered to avoid being trampled, the Heartless swung its head low, trying to gore Lapis with its horns. She formed a barrier of water while using a blast of steam to propel herself back and out of range (a barrier of ice would've probably shattered and peppered her with shrapnel), while Steven threw his pink hardlight shield at the Crystal Crusher; it clonked the beast in the side of the head, and as Steven formed a new shield the monster snarled and prepared to rush at him, only to get hit by a Firaga shot from Sora.

Peridot magneto-kinetically levitated the two hunks of iron ore she'd "found", launching one of them at the Crystal Crusher like a misshapen cannonball. The high-velocity projectile bounced off the Heartless' crystalline hide, the transferred kinetic force making the monster briefly stumble. Distracted from its previous target, the Crystal Crusher snarled and began quickly charging a crackling orb of electrical energy between its forward-curved horns, glaring right at Peridot. After a few seconds the blast of Darkness & Lightning magic fired, making a sound like a continuous thunderbolt as it raced toward Peridot. Steven dashed in with shield raised, making it as big as he could without compromising its durability. Not that that mattered, since the resulting explosion of power shattered his shield and flung him & Peridot back, dazed.

As Lapis took position covering Steven & Peridot while they got their bearings back, Sora leapt onto the Crystal Crusher's back and started bashing the beast with his Keyblade, and the Heartless roared and thrashed. Soon, the spikes along its back crackled with electrical power, and Sora had to jump off just before that power released as a crackling electrical field that surrounded the monster's body for a second or so. He fired a quick wave of Light-type _Sagitta Magica_ at the Heartless, which roared and charged at him again.

Lapis, taking a page from Pearl's book, formed a longbow out of ice and started forming & firing ice arrows at the Crystal Crusher, aiming for its face and joints. The monster snarled, trying to shake out the ice arrows embedded in its forelimbs, closing its eyes to protect them as it charged at Lapis. The water-wielder Gem got off a couple more ice arrows before throwing herself out of the way, but the beast then called down a "small" thunderbolt from the darkening clouds above that struck Lapis full-force, the blue Gem unable to hold in a scream as she was left reeling and involuntarily twitching, barely keeping herself from 'poofing'.

'This isn't an ordinary storm…' Sora thought. '…Ghirahim must've been able to tell Jasper was close to succumbing to the darkness, and set things up so a storm-cloud brimming with magical power would be overhead for her Heartless to draw power from…'

Sora cast Curaga on Lapis to get her back in the fight, then he flashed blue as he assumed his Wisdom Form. As the Crystal Crusher came in and tried to trample him again, he skated around while firing Firaga and Blizzaga shots at it. The big Heartless swung its head around as it attacked, trying to catch Sora with its horns, and eventually it got lucky, flinging him back. As Sora recovered, Steven and Peridot moved in, the former using his shield to cover the latter as she repeatedly bashed the Crystal Crusher with her two telekinetically-levitated hunks of iron ore.

Growling as it tried to shake off the attacks, the big Heartless' jagged maw suddenly curved up into a wicked grin. It released an electric bolt at the closest floating iron-ore chunk, and it jumped from there to the other one… and from there to Peridot, blasting her back and almost poofing her, her 'hair' sticking out in all directions. Lapis hurried over to her, forming an ice-dome barrier around herself and Peridot, and the Crystal Crusher started trying to bash through even as Sora & Steven tried to fend it off and do some more damage to it.

Suddenly, there was an explosion of light and force that shattered the ice dome from within, blasting the Crystal Crusher back a little. Everyone watched as a formless mass of light shifted into a humanoid shape, two gems – one yellowish-green, one blue – flowing around within it. Finally, the light faded to reveal a Gem around six feet tall, with one core-gem on each 'breast', a pale-blue body clad in a green-lined blue top with a big yellow star on the stomach and a matching set of pants, her shoulder-length hair blonde with blue streaks in it, a second set of eyes on her forehead above the 'prime' set.

Bismuth's jaw dropped. Pearl and Amethyst gasped. Garnet squeed.

"This…" the Fused-Gem said. "This feels so much nicer than I ever expected. This _unity_…" She faced the rampaging Heartless with a calm, stern expression. "The strength of my components' bond is beyond what either of us imagined. And it's gonna be more than enough to euthanize the feral beast you've devolved into, Jasper."

[Lapis-Peridot Fusion] held out her hands, and the two chunks of iron ore floated over to her. They glowed as they melted, taking new shapes, and then cooled & re-solidified. Now, they had turned into a crude shield with a handle on the inside and a long sword or lance.

"Not exactly pretty," she said as she grabbed her new weapons, "but they'll do for now."

She then formed a pair of wings made of water with ice-tipped 'feathers' and flew at the Crystal Crusher low and fast, dodging its attempt to stomp her and lashing out with a rapid series of stabs and slashes with her 'sword'. Sora and Steven moved in to back her up, Keyblade strikes and shield bashes battering the big Heartless. The moment sparks began to gather around the Crystal Crusher's back-spikes, everyone immediately got clear in time to dodge the electric field that sprang up around it, with Sora expending his remaining Wisdom Form charge with a Firaza that left the beast scorched and reeling.

The Crystal Crusher let out a deep, bone-rattling roar as several thunderbolts struck all around it, shaking the earth. The monster charged an extra-large lightning orb that then split into two (comparatively) smaller orbs when fired, one heading at Steven and the other at [Lapis-Peridot Fusion]. The fused warrior flew up & over to dodge (she figured blocking an electric blast with a metal shield wasn't smart), while Sora used a Strike Raid to destabilize and set off the attack, followed by another one that hit the Crystal Crusher in the head and chipped one of its horns.

[Lapis-Peridot Fusion] formed four long, thin ice blades that fanned out behind her beneath her water-wings, rushing in at the Crystal Crusher and using them and her iron sword to slash and stab at the beast. When the monster finally managed to bash her away, she was able to have her shield take the brunt of the hit, the iron dented by the absorbed force. The Crystal Crusher then leapt high to crush her… only for Steven to appear, pouring as much power into his shield as he could as he used his newest technique, something some members of Blue Diamond's Court had helped him figure out after the big battle on Homeworld: how to reflect the momentum of a physical attack used against his shield.

In this case, the reflected momentum of the Crystal Crusher's attempted body-slam catapulted the big Heartless into the air. Flying up after it, [Lapis-Peridot Fusion] melded her iron-ore shield into a set of huge knuckle-spikes attached to a giant fist made of water that she then began pummeling the monster with alongside her sword-strikes. As the beast fell, Sora used it as a springboard bringing him up beside [Lapis-Peridot Fusion]. He began forming a Rasengan, and she infused her Water-type power into it and added little sharp flecks of iron in to 'orbit' around the growing, swirling sphere of wild chakra and water.

Finally, she gave Sora some extra momentum, flinging him down at the still-stunned Heartless. With a roar, Sora shoved the enhanced, Water-imbued, sharp-iron Rasengan down onto the top of the Crystal Crusher's armored head. There was a sound like screeching metal as the crystalline 'helmet' was grinded through, and finally it shattered, letting the attack bore into the big Heartless' head. Gritting his teeth as the beast tried to shock him, Sora gave his attack one more push.

(MUSIC END)

With a loud bang, the full concussive force of the Rasengan was released downward, blasting the Crystal Crusher's head downward so hard it ended up embedded in the earth. The Crystal Crusher struggled and twitched for a few moments, and then succumbed to the head trauma and collapsed. Soon, its body broke apart into motes of light and wisps of darkness, Jasper's Heart floating up and vanishing. The dark barrier around the area came apart, and the fused Gem came back down to the ground and de-fused into Lapis & Peridot.

"Holy hell, that was a _rush_" the smaller Gem said, a little breathless. "That felt… felt like it was something _meant_ to happen…"

She then startled a bit as Lapis hugged her. "Same here" the blue Gem said. "After being forced into fusing with Jasper in the past, I never imagined how _good_ it would feel to be in a mutually-consensual fusion. …I'm so glad I came back here. To you."

"It's interesting to see that you guys have fusion, too" Donald remarked to the Crystal Gems.

"Wait…" Garnet perked up. "Your people have fusion?"

"Of a… sort" Aqua replied. "It's a type of fusion developed by a race called the Metamorese. But, Garnet? Unlike what Gems have, the type of fusion we know of isn't as… personal, or intimate. The two fusers have to be of similar enough physical size & structure, or it won't work. They have to perform a sequence of exact positions & movements in perfectly-timed mirror images of each other, or the fusion will fail. And after 30 minutes, the fused warrior comes undone, and they can't fuse again for another hour. The fused warrior is _incredibly_ power, at least a dozen times as strong as the sum of the two components, but…"

Garnet looked a bit put out, almost offended. "It's a kind of fusion that's _only_ good for fighting, just like how Homeworld used to think of Gem fusion. A calculated, mechanical process, a need for physical similarity, a _time limit_…" She sighed.

"To be fair, of the four Fusion Dance pairs we have… One is a pair of boys who are best friends and always enjoying each other's company; one is a pair of diehard rivals who nonetheless support each other and care for each other like brothers; one is a pair of young girls who love each other dearly; and one is a pair of girls who are the closest of friends just like the boys I mentioned, maybe even developing 'other' feelings toward each other…"

"The kind of symmetry required to do the Fusion Dance properly practically _requires_ a deep understanding of each other amongst the two fusers" Sora added.

The fused-Gem nodded. "I see. So there _is_ something of what we use in it… In any case!" She smiled. "I'm still delighted that Lapis and Peridot were finally able to become one like that! Personally, I think it's a long time coming…"

Lapis and Peridot both blushed, though neither of them had let go of the other yet.

"I just wish it hadn't needed Jasper succumbing to hatred and darkness to happen…" Steven said, melancholy.

Pearl put a hand on his shoulder. "Some people just have more trouble handling big changes than others. And unfortunately, the Heartless took advantage of Jasper's difficulties in that to corrupt her before she could accept things. All we can do is try our best to make sure other Gems can handle the transition without snapping like she did."

The youth nodded. "Right. Now, I think you could use a little rest after all that before you & your friends head out, Sora."

"We'll be ready to do whatever we can to help you & your friends if you need it" Amethyst said.

Sora grinned. "Right. I appreciate that."

**-****_CHAPTER END_****-**

Confession Time: the bit with the submarine exploring the deep ocean was put in _solely_ because for a long, long time I've been waiting for an opportunity to have a scene that has the Aquas music from _SF64_ as accompanying music. I was originally going to maybe adapt the _Teen Titans_ cartoon, have Team Sora and the Titans use the T-Sub to go deep-ocean exploring, but ended up giving up on bringing _Teen Titans_ into the _Travels_-verse (among other things, there might be confusion and some upset feelings on the Titans' end upon learning that one of the missing Guardians of Light is a big, muscly, long-MIA male named Terra…)

Also, you may be wondering: If the heroes already have their 7 Guardians of Light, why aren't they heading for the Keyblade Graveyard to finish things yet? Simply put, they want to be absolutely sure they're all strong enough to win (and not put the New 7 Hearts at risk) before they go in to finish things. Ventus, especially, wants some more time to catch up and prepare. In addition, Sora knows that the Seekers, the Sorceresses, and Joker & Infinite are skulking around the worlds, and he wants to be able to head them off and protect people from them, make sure the worlds are safe before he commits to the big finish.


	14. A Pirate's Life For Me

**SEE CHAPTER ONE FOR (MOST) DISCLAIMERS**

PLEASE READ & REVIEW, AND TEND TO THE TROPE PAGE

**-****_CHAPTER START_****-**

**Keyblade Graveyard**

In the heart of the dusty wasteland, a massive rock formation took the form of 13 spires of rock jutting high into the sky. Atop several of them, black-robed figures stood.

"So, why are you back?" Marluxia asked.

Larxene huffed. "Nice way to greet your old partner-in-crime."

Marluxia gave a little smirk at that.

"So," the woman continued, "why do you think the old geezer took us back? He _must_ know we backstabbed the Organization when Xemnas was running it."

"Xehanort doesn't care about you or me" Marluxia replied. "To him, we're nothing but empty husks. The old Organization was the same. Xehanort needs 13 vessels to hold his essence."

"Husks? Not _me_. You up for another coup?"

"Oh, please" a new voice joined in. "You couldn't do it _last_ time. You gotta play it smart, like me."

With a little smirk, Demyx gave his sitar a strum.

"What?! You're not smart!" she snapped at him.

"Well, you heard what Marly said. I don't have to be smart."

"Or capable, or likeable, or attractive. A cereal bowl would make a better vessel"

"Whoa now, you are _way_ outta line. I am extremely imposing… when I _want_ to be. Which is, admittedly, almost never."

"He's not quite lying, Larxene" Marluxia said. "It's not power or intelligence Demyx is lacking in, but _motivation_. He's strong, but he's lazy."

"So is that why you haven't gone to any worlds?" Larxene asked the musician. "Are you slacking off again?"

Demyx sighed. "Course not. I got benched."

"…Huh?"

"Saïx brought Vexen on board" Marluxia explained. "They must be planning to use Replicas."

"Those windup toys?"

"Oh, no" Demyx replied. "The Replicas are way more real than you remember. I mean, one stole my spot!"

At that, Larxene burst out laughing. "Of _course_ one stole your spot, you lazy bastard!"

"Hmph"

"Vexen's latest Replicas are no mere puppets" Marluxia said. "The Riku Replica we used in Castle Oblivion was just a prototype. The next Replica, the one crafted from Sora's memories, was real enough to join our ranks. And Vexen claims the new ones will be human in every way. If he ever finishes them."

"Oh…" Larxene fidgeted. "The thing is… I kinda told Sora and his nitwits that we're ready. My bad."

"Let them believe as much" Xemnas replied as he emerged from a Dark Corridor. "If they think we already have all 13 Darknesses, then they will panic. And panic leads to a lack of preparation."

"Totally" Demyx replied. "That's why I always take things slow."

Larxene sighed. "Why is this guy a member, again?"

"The first six members of the original Organization were all apprentices to Ansem the Wise," Xemnas explained, "and the seventh & eighth members joined thereafter. The 13th member was Roxas, a Keyblade wielder. So, what about you? How do you suppose I chose numbers nine through twelve?"

Larxene smirked. "Because our Hearts are uber powerful."

"Wrong. You have been brought together for another purpose."

"What?" Luxord asked as he emerged from a dark portal. "So we can rot away on the bottom rung?"

Larxene sighed. "You're in, too? What is this, Organization Rehash?"

"I happen to play an important role" the gambler replied. "No-one 'benched' me."

"You were listening?" Demyx asked. "_So_ not cool…"

"One must hold one's cards as long as necessary."

"What 'important role'?" Larxene asked. "That stupid box that Xigbar claims is real, but won't tell us a thing about?"

"You'll just have to ask _him_ that. Now then, Xemnas, what is this 'purpose'? You didn't invite us back for old times' sake."

Xemnas smirked a little, and what he said next left the quartet gaping in shock:

"You four are going to reveal your greatest secret: the ancient Keyblade legacy that slumbers within you."

**-****_Break_****-**

In the light of the full moon and the sky full of stars, a lone little raft drifts along the sea, a small sail hanging from its mast which has a lantern tied to it. Aboard the raft, Goofy and Donald man the oars, while Sora and two others keep a look-out or enjoy the night scenery. Sora is singing to himself, clad in a dull-blue stereotypical-pirate outfit.

"Why are you so happy?" Donald asked, wearing a similar nondescript pirate-y outfit, a blue bandanna on his head.

Sora grinned. "Cause we get to be _pirates_ again!"

"Yep," Goofy (wearing a loose white top, brown pants, and a smaller and duller version of his green had) said, "you always did like this world."

"How could I _not_? Still… it's a real shame we don't have a bigger ship."

"I've never met old-timey, classical-style pirates before" Subaru Nakajima grinned; Donald's magic had put her in an off-white vest over a midnight-blue shirt and dark-grey pants. "Should be a nice change of pace."

"If we're gonna play along as pirates, maybe we can Robin Hood it up around here – y'know, take from the rich, and all that."

Chloe 'Kuro' von Einzbern is wearing a navel-exposing red sleeveless top and a pair of ragged-looking tan-colored short-shorts. There's a bandanna on her head like Donald, except hot-pink with a little jolly-roger on the front.

"And give to the poor?" Goofy asked.

"R-Right…" Kuro averted her gaze, trying not to look suspicious.

"Got any idea where we're going?" Donald asked.

"Where else?" Sora replied. "The edge of the world!" He pointed ahead dramatically.

"Captain Sora!" Goofy stood up, saluting.

"What ails ya, Mister Goofy?" Sora deepened his voice.

The knight pointed forward. "The edge of the world!"

"Aye!"

"We're runnin' out of sea, sir!"

"Aye, we're running out of… sea… _Running out?!_"

Indeed, straight ahead was something that should be impossible: a spot where the ocean was plummeting off a sheer edge and into a boundless abyss.

"What the hell kinda world did we end up on?!" Kuro shouted as the raft was pulled closer and closer to the edge.

Despite their best efforts, they plummet over the edge…

**THE CARIBBEAN**

**-****_Scene Break_****-**

When the quintet came to, they found themselves in what seemed to be an endless desert of white sand stretching out in all direction, over a hazy blue sky.

Sora sighed. "Where'd we end up _this_ time?"

"Is this the afterlife?" Goofy asked.

Subaru checked her own neck, then Kuro's and Sora's. "We still have pulses. And I feel a little sore. So, I'd say no."

The group got up and started walking, hoping to find something other than endless blank desert.

"Some pirates" Sora groused. "We won't get anywhere without a ship."

Just then, he looked up, and in the distance, he saw a recognizable shape within the heat haze: the profile of a large sailing ship.

"Um… Did I hit my head when we landed here?"

"Nope" Kuro replied. "I see it, too."

They all took off running after the ship, which seemed to be sailing across the sands as if nothing was wrong. As they began to close in on it, a new figure made himself known, running right past Team Sora in pursuit of the vessel.

"Hail, Sora!" the man said with a grin as he ran past.

"Huh? Jack Sparrow!"

The pirate came to a halt. "_Captain_ Jack Sparrow" he corrected.

"Hey Jack, where _are_ we?"

"Belay that for now!" Jack took off running again. "Ship absconding! Help me catch the _Pearl_ before she gets away!"

Sora nodded with a grin. "Aye-aye, Captain!"

As they all took off in pursuit of the _Black Pearl_, a couple of Earth Cores sprang up to bar their path. Donald hit one with a Watera spell, and as it reeled Jack tossed a small bomb into its open maw, the internal blast killing the Heartless. Sora froze the other one with Blizzaga, and a charging tackle from Subaru & Goofy shattered it.

"Heartless manning the cannons!" Subaru shouted, her enhanced eyes seeing the Darklings aboard the ship as it began to turn.

As the _Black Pearl_'s guns began to open fire, Sora and Donald cast Reflect barriers. Three larger Heartless appeared on the deck of the ship, pirate-themed, clad in red coats with matching hats and wielding large red & silver swords, their lower bodies ending at the waist. The 'Anchor Raiders' produced large anchors attached to chains, and began spinning the anchors over their heads like helicopter blades as they flew down at the heroes.

The ship came to a halt as the three big Heartless flew in, and Kuro called forth her Divewing fired a wave of Fire-type _Sagitta Magica_. The bolts of flame magic crashed against two of the Anchor Raiders, stunning and burning them, and Kuro then leapt at the closest one and started slashing with her Keyblade, while Goofy used his shield to protect her from the Heartless' return strikes. Another Anchor Raider came at Captain Jack, and as he brought his sword up to block a swing of the Heartless' sword, he was knocked back by the force, staggering as he fought to regain his balance and shake the tingling pain out of his arms. The Heartless came at him again, swinging its anchor like a flail, but then Subaru was there with Revolver Knuckle ready, and she punched the incoming anchor right back to hit the Anchor Raider in the face, knocking it over and back.

Sora and Donald took on the third Anchor Raider, zapping it with a double Thundara and then bombarding it with Keyblade strikes and magic blasts. Sora ducked under a wide swing of the Heartless' sword, and Donald hit the weapon with a Gravity spell that made it drop from the monster's hand, sinking into the sand below. This gave Sora an opening to deal several heavy blows, finishing with a diagonal strike that finally cut the Heartless down. Meanwhile, Goofy deflected a sword strike aimed at Kuro with enough force that the Anchor Raider was sent reeling back, and Kuro used the opportunity to Trace a kunai with an exploding tag attached and stab the Heartless in the chest with it, leaping back as the explosion killed the dark creature. Nearby, Subaru managed to bash the last Anchor Raider in the back of the head, and as it stumbled forward, Jack Sparrow thrust his blade through its throat. The Heartless collapsed, dissolving away.

-X-

With Captain Sparrow at the helm and Team Sora aboard, the _Black Pearl_ sailed across the rocks and sand. As it crested a hill, it finally reached a beach, and on the beach were several figures, gazing up at the spectacle. Once the _Pearl_ was in the water, the 'crew' disembarked and came over to the other group, who had several familiar faces amongst them.

"Jack!" a man with tied-back greying black hair and a matching beard reached them first.

"Mr. Gibbs!" Jack replied. "I thought so. I expect you're able to account for your actions, then."

"…Sir?"

"There's been a perpetual and virulent lack of discipline upon my vessel – why?"

"Sir, you're… You're in Davy Jones' Locker, Cap'n."

Jack looked pensive and concerned for a moment. "…I-I knew that. Don't think I didn't."

"Jack Sparrow…" a man walked up – a man who was all too familiar to Team Sora, a man who was supposed to be _dead_.

"Barbossa!?" Sora made ready to conjure his Keyblade in an instant's notice. But Jack simply strolled forward, all casual.

"Ah, Hector! It's been too long, hasn't it?"

"Aye," Barbossa replied, "_Isla de Muerta_, remember? You shot me."

"Well, you were making a right arse of yourself at the time, as you'll recall."

The older man sighed. "Indeed. I suppose I'd gone off the deep end by that point."

"The deep end of an ocean trench…"

Meanwhile, two more of the new group came over to Sora & company.

"We meet again, Sora" Will Turner said with a friendly smile.

"It's lovely to see you all" Elizabeth Swann added. "And it seems you have some new friends along."

"Oh!" Sora's smile returned. "Will, Elizabeth! Is… something about you different?"

Indeed, the blonde girl was now clad in something much more practical and… pirate-y than what he'd last seen her in.

"You look all swashbuckly" Goofy summed up.

"Well," Elizabeth replied, "I've seen some adventures. But I never thought I'd find _you_ here."

"Speaking of," Sora said, "where exactly _is_ 'here'? What's all this about a locker?"

"Davy Jones' Locker" Will replied. "Jack neglected to repay a certain debt to Jones, who is in charge of ferrying the spirits of those who die at sea to the afterlife. So, Jones sent his Kraken to devour Jack, and that's how he ended up here."

"So… this is the afterlife?!"

"Not quite" Elizabeth replied. "It's a midpoint between the living realm and the afterlife, and it _is_ accessible by the living _if_ they have the right knowledge and the right magical power. And we're here to wrest Jack from his fate."

Meanwhile, Jack had turned to another member of the group: a darker-skinned woman clad in a simple dress with a shawl over her shoulders, with long hair that somehow reminded Sora of seaweed.

"Tia Dalma" Sparrow said. "Out and about, eh? You add an agreeable sense of macabre to any delirium."

"This be no hallucination, Mr. Sparrow" the woman replied with a Caribbean accent. "Ye stand in the space between the lands of the livin' and dead, but ye haven't crossed beyond just yet. We came here to take you back to the mortal plane."

"Well, I'd rather not stay dead if I can help it, but what's in it for you lot?"

"Cutler Beckett has Davy Jones' heart" Will replied. "He's using it to keep Jones under his control, along with the _Flying Dutchman_ and its crew."

"He's taking over the seas" Elizabeth added.

"And him _must_ be stopped" Tia Dalma said. "The Brethren Court is called."

Jack sighed. "I leave you people alone for just a minute, and look what happens. Everything's gone to pot!"

Sora turned to his team. "I'm lost. What's going on? And who's this 'Cutler Beckett'?"

"He's the head of the East India Trading Company" Mr. Gibbs replied as he came over. "He's a control freak who's gone mad with power, basically. And now that he's enslaved Davy Jones, his dream of conquering all the world's oceans might actually be within his reach."

"That's horrible!" Donald said. "The sea belongs to _everyone_!"

Smiling at the group, Gibbs then turned back to his Captain. "Listen, Jack. The world needs you back somethin' fierce."

"And _you_ need a crew" Will added.

"And why should I sail with any of you?" Jack replied. "Four of you have tried to kill me."

"_We're_ on your side, Jack!" Sora said.

"Aye, so you are, mates. I never could have caught the _Pearl _without you. You're hired – Sora, Donald, Goofy, and… I don't think I actually caught you lasses' names yet."

"I'm Subaru!" "Chloe. Or Kuro; either's fine."

"…Come to think of it, you lot look like you fit in a bit better than last time. I'm guessin' you found some clothing-based magic that helps you blend in with the locals when you go places?"

"That's Donald's handiwork" Goofy replied.

"Kuro and I also have enchanted outfits we can call upon for battle" Subaru explained. She then leaned in closer to whisper to Jack. "Though between you and me, I think Kuro's is _way_ too skimpy for a girl her age…"

Jack snorted a laugh. "Now, as for the rest of you… Tia Dalma, you're in. Gibbs, you can come. Weight anchor, all hands! Prepare to make sail!"

He pulled out his compass – enchanted to point its wielder in the direction of their heart's desire. The compass merely spun in all directions, never pointing him where he needed to go.

"Jack…" Barbossa spoke up, with a smirk on his face and a map in his hands. "Which way you goin', Jack?"

After a few seconds, Jack let out an exaggerated sigh. "Alright, _alright_. Get aboard, you lot…"

-_Break_-

The revived _Black Pearl_ slowly sailed across the calm sea of Davy Jones' Locker.

"So," Sora said, "we _do_ have a destination, right?"

"I can't tell anymore" Goofy replied.

"Jack's making things up as he goes along" Donald surmised.

Across the deck, Jack was fiddling with a rather complex map spread out on a table. Suddenly, Tia Dalma came over.

"Cast your fate with Jack Sparrow," she said, "and you soon be sharing in the wrath of Davy Jones."

"The guy Will mentioned?" Sora asked. "Gibbs told us how Jones is supposed to 'ferry the souls of those who die at sea to the afterlife', but how does that lead to all _this_? And what did Jack ever do to him?"

"Truly? You don't know who Davy Jones be? And you say you be men of the sea?"

"Uh… Let's put it this way; we're from _another _sea."

The woman chuckled. "Are you now, Keyblade wielder?" Seeing Sora's shocked reaction, she grinned. "I've been around for a long time, lad. I've seen and heard of things that most men would dismiss as myth and fairytale." She turned to look at Sparrow. "Jack and Davy Jones' fate be intertwined. Jones… Him raised Jack's precious _Pearl_ from the depths, and make Jack captain for 13 years. In exchange, Jack promise to give Jones him soul as payment. But 13 years pass, and Jack fail to return. So Jones, him send the Kraken to devour Jack, taking him and the _Pearl_ back to the depths. But… If Jones learn that Witty Jack cheat that fate, him wanna punish Jack even worse. And Jack's friends, too."

"The Kraken's gonna eat us?" Goofy asked, trembling.

"…Aw, let the Kraken have a crack!" Sora replied.

"You not be scared? How rare" Tia Dalma smiled. "Most men, them run for land at the mention of the Kraken. Not you." She looked at Jack again. "But Jack be scared. He want to be free of his debt to Davy Jones. That's why him need the box."

"A box?!" Sora snapped to attention.

"Would this box happen to be the size of a big suitcase," Subaru asked, "black with a silver & red emblem on the lid?"

Tia Dalma shook her head. "No – smaller, and different colors than that. It be a chest… where Davy Jones lock away the part of him that hurt. The pain it cause him was too much to live with… but not enough to cause him to die. To escape the pain… Davy Jones cut out him _heart_."

-X-

Aboard another vessel, two black-cloaked figures talked.

"Oh, how does he do it?" Vexen complained. "A creature absent a heart and yet somehow able to keep existing… Not even my finest Replica can claim that achievement. The secret _must_ be in that box. I have to know what mysteries it contains."

"I believe our orders were to find the box and seize it" Luxord replied. "No more. Put a leash on that runaway curiosity."

"Always so shortsighted…" Vexen turned to face him. "Why would the Organization seek me out just as soon as I was recompleted, if not to affirm my intellectual prowess and invest in my research? Every stride I make is a stride for all of us."

"Oh, really? And what exactly are we striding towards?"

Vexen quirked an eyebrow. "Luxord, do I detect… a hint of treachery in your words?"

"What? Don't be absurd. But to be clear, I serve the Organization. I don't share your need to please Xemnas. He's good at wrapping you around his little finger – always has been."

Vexen hmphed. "All I desire is the freedom to continue my research. Ansem the Wise refused to nurture my talents. So I cast my lot with Xemnas – with Xehanort, rather. Simple as that."

"I see. And you don't care how he uses your research?"

"Not in the slightest! All that concerns me is that I complete the perfect human vessel."

Luxord closed his eyes, a mixture of emotions on his face. "That's all well and good. But I know this world better than you. Kindly stay out of the way."

"Oh, of course. Considering those pests have shown up, I'd hardly get anything done."

As Vexen strolled off, Luxord grinned. "I already know what to do with the 'pests'. Then you can resume your stuffy studies."

"Ah, that's my boy. I'll be watching from the shadows, then."

With that, Vexen vanished through a Dark Corridor.

**-****_Break_****-**

As the sun sank below the horizon with a split-second flash of green, the _Black Pearl_ burst up from beneath the waves with a mighty splash. Everyone gasped for breath and tried to dry themselves as they staggered to their feet.

"Thanks, Jack" Sora groused. "You could've warned us."

"Yeah," Goofy said, "everything went topsy-turvy and upsy-downsy!"

"Well, at least we're back in the land of the living."

"Thank goodness!" Donald added.

"Never fear" Jack said, looking himself over. "All according to plan."

"But that be no reason to rest easy" Barbossa said.

He looked out to port as Will came up, the younger man pointing out:

"A ship!"

A large ship with multiple dull-red flags was approaching.

"I've never seen one like that…" Elizabeth said.

Suddenly, a swarm of Heartless emerged from the incoming ship's deck – Vaporflies, looking like steampunk mechanical bat/bug things. There was a deep screech from overhead, and the gang looked up to see a _much_ larger Heartless flying high above – a monster of metal & wood that looked like a vulture, a cannon embedded in each wing's main joint, with three chained anchors dangling from its body. The 'Raging Vulture' fired an energy blast from one of its cannons, and the _Black Pearl_ was rocked as the shot struck the water less than 30 feet from its side.

"Barbossa," Jack asked, "have you allied with those fiends again?"

"Don't impugn me honor?" the revived pirate replied. "Why would I conspire with them?"

"But you _did_ conspire with them."

"Could we discuss this _later_?!" Elizabeth interrupted.

As Tia Dalma came away after whispering something to Sora, the Raging Vulture circled around, preparing to fire again. Looking above & around, Sora focused power into his Keyblade and threw it upward. The mystical weapon spun through the air and then vanished in a flash of light. When it came back down, it had transformed into a sort of hoverboard with a pair of magic blasters on either side – Sora's own Keyblade Glider. He leapt aboard, his & the Keyblade's magic anchoring his feet firmly to the Glider.

"You guys, protect the ship!" he shouted. "I'll handle the Heartless!"

"I'm coming, too!" Kuro shouted, stepping forward.

"How will you get up there with him?" Will asked.

The little girl smirked. "I haven't managed to pull off the Keyblade Glider trick yet, but… My power lets me conjure replicas of famous bladed weapons, and I can use the powers and attacks the original weapons' wielders could as long as I have them. So, if I 'Trace' a sword used by someone who could fly…"

With a red flash, she summoned her combat outfit. Jack Sparrow's eyes widened.

"Bloody hell, Subaru, you weren't kidding…" he muttered to the blue-haired girl.

Kuro then conjured Future Trunks' sword in one hand and her Divewing in the other, and took flight. She and Sora took to the sky, his Keyblade Glider's blasters and her swords & _Sagitta Magica _carving through Vaporflies in their way. Soon, they closed in on the alpha Heartless, the mechanical vulture-thing three-quarters as long as the _Black Pearl _itself. The beast opened its metal beak wide and spat out a stream of hundreds of tightly-clustered little fireballs, acting like a flamethrower. Sora formed a spherical Reflega barrier to protect himself until he could slide out of the line of fire, firing mana bolts at the monster, while Kuro swung her blades to release cutting waves of energy. The Raging Vulture screeched and rolled in the air, forcing the two heroes to break off or else be smacked by its massive wings.

Sora juked to the side to dodge a Vaporfly's spinning tackle, then started shooting down the small-fry to give Kuro a chance to grab onto the Raging Vulture and started slashing with her Keyblade. The beast screeched in rage, its long and skinny neck contorting in a way to let it turn its head 180 degrees and look at its own back and the little darkish-skinned girl clinging to one of its back spikes. Kuro managed to land a few hits to the monster's metal face before it breathed fire at her, forcing her to let go and disengage.

The Raging Vulture oriented to fire its main blaster cannons at Kuro as she flew away, only for a lucky salvo from the _Black Pearl_ to hit it in the side, the cannon shells punching divots in its armored hide and knocking off one of its anchor-&-chains. Meanwhile, Sora flew in, turning his Glider back into his Keyblade and grabbing onto one of the Heartless' back spikes. He immediately started hitting the thing with Fire, Blizzard, and Thunder spells as fast as he could cast them, gritting his teeth as the big Heartless tried and failed to shake him off. Sora finally leapt off of his own accord, re-summoning his Keyblade Glider and jetting away just as Kuro, still wielding a Trace of Trunks' sword, fired a 'Buster Cannon' ki blast at the monster. The blast blew a chunk out of the Raging Vulture's left side and damaged its left wing, leaving it briefly floundering in the air.

Kuro had to devote attention to thinning out Vaporflies again, while Sora continued peppering the Raging Vulture with fire from his Keyblade Glider's mana-bolt blasters, dodging its return fire. The beast was nearing its limit by this point, signs of damage all over. Dodging around an attempt by the monster to snap him up in its beak, Sora put all his strength into a magic-charged Keyblade strike to the base of its neck.

That did it. The Raging Vulture let out one last screech as cracks spread across its body. However, even as it began to disintegrate, it slammed its wing down against Sora, knocking him out and sending him plummeting. The last thing Sora was aware of was the water rushing up to meet him as he fell…

**-****_X_****-**

When Sora came to, he was lying on a beach with Donald, Goofy, Kuro, & Subaru hovering over him.

"Where are the others?" he asked as he sat up.

"After you fell," Goofy replied, "we came looking for ya. I guess that musta kept goin'."

"That's desertion" Donald grumbled.

"Oh…" Sora sulked. "And I was so happy that we got to see them again…"

"That eager to sail under Captain Jack Sparrow?" a familiar voice piped in.

The quintet turned in shock, and there was the man himself, strolling up from deeper in the island. As he stood before them, none of them noticed a tiny white crab drop from the back of his pant leg…

"I got knocked overboard during the scuffle with that overgrown mechanical turkey" he remarked. "At least I've come across some friendly faces; _last_ time I came to after something like that, I had half a dozen blades pointed at me! Now then, shall we?"

"Shall we what?" Sora asked as Jack started walking away.

"Some pirate!" the man teased. "We won't get anywhere without a ship. So, let's go get one!"

As Sora happily followed along, his friends trailed behind.

"Sora and Jack are totally cut from the same cloth" Subaru said with a grin.

Ahead, Sora thought back on what Tia Dalma had told him:

'_Use that key to free me, Sora, and you have my most certain promise: all the power on the sea you ever wish for will be __**yours**__._'

"…Free her _how_?" he muttered.

The gang followed Jack's lead, diving into an underwater tunnel and swimming through to a submerged cavern. Donald cast a spell that surrounded everyone's heads with big enchanted air bubbles that could pull oxygen from the surrounding water. A few Sea Sprites spawned in, but a wave of Light-type _Sagitta Magica_ from Sora & Kuro made short work of them. Taking care to avoid the man-sized jellyfish here & there, they passed into an undersea cavern. Reaching a larger space, they were beset by a school of Sea Sprites. Kuro 'Traced' the sharkskin blade Samehada and used _Suiton: Suikōdan_ to sic several water-sharks on the fishy Heartless, culling their numbers quickly. The remainder were finished off when Donald somehow cast Thundara underwater without hurting anyone but the Heartless.

'Magic, I guess…' Sora thought.

Despite not wanting to cause too much damage to the local ecosystem, the gang had no choice but to kill a number of the jellyfish clogging the next tunnel, since there was no way to get through without being covered in jelly-stings otherwise. The underwater tunnels eventually led to a much larger submerged chamber, and in the center there were two large glowing golden-yellow antenna-looking things sprouting up from the rocks, flanking a big treasure chest sitting there right in the middle.

"Well, _that_'s suspicious" Subaru remarked.

"I'll check it out" Sora said, swimming toward the chest. "If it's a trap, I'll toss my Keyblade your way and Reverse Recall myself to safety. Besides… no pirate worth his salt ignores treasure."

He carefully drew near the treasure chest, but nothing happened. Carefully, he tapped the chest with his Keyblade… and the Heartless burst up out of the sand so fast Sora didn't get the chance to get clear, being sent tumbling back through the water. As Goofy steadied Sora, they got their look at their opponent: the Lightning Angler. It looked like a mix between an anglerfish and a gigantic 'Sea Sprite' Heartless, with a vibrant deep-blue hide marked by yellow lightning-bolt patterns. Its tail was shaped sort of like a pirate ship's steering wheel with multiple curving electric-yellow prongs like a giant buzzsaw, and its mouth was framed by multiple large, jagged teeth, including a pair of massive tusks jutting up from its lower jaw. Its side-fins had a ship's-anchor pattern to them, and its dangling bottom fins were like giant fishing hooks.

The huge fish Heartless lunged forward, the heroes scattering to avoid its jaws; it was big enough, and its mouth wide enough, to eat any of them whole. Kuro still had a Traced Samehada, and she swim-dashed in and started slashing at the Lightning Angler's scaly body. The giant fish-monster thrashed around, smacking Kuro away with its wheel-tail, and then it raised one of its antennae up, the tip crackling with electrical magic. The shock-tendril was swung at the still-stunned girl, but then Goofy was there to deflect and bat it away, while Subaru used her Revolver Knuckle to propel herself through the water and close in. Latching onto a scale edge with her other hand, she started pummeling the beast with Knuckle-enhanced crushing punches.

The Lightning Angler discharged electricity around itself, forcing Subaru to let go and swim away. Sora cast a few Fira spells, and they came out as compressed cannon-shells of superhot water that pounded against the big Heartless' hide, chipping a few of its scales. He then had to swim to the side as the Lightning Angler tried to eat him again, while Donald hit the beast with a few more "Sea-Fira" blasts. Kuro 'Traced' Zeratul's Keyblade (earning her own Keyblade had finally allowed her to Trace others) and started firing blasts of Void energy at the Heartless. Sora came in from the side that wasn't being pelted with primordial energy and started bashing & slashing with his Keyblade.

Now thoroughly pissed off, the Lightning Angler started flailing its shocker-antennae around and swinging its spiked saw/wheel tail. Sora and Kuro had to break off, and Goofy & Subaru moved in to take their place and keep the pressure on, using punches and shield-bashes; all the while, Donald kept up supporting fire and healing spells. They didn't give the Lightning Angler room to breathe (well, figuratively – gills, and all that), two people constantly hammering away at it with blows and blasts while Donald & Sora alternated spellcasting duties so the other could catch their breath.

Finally, Kuro re-Traced Samehada and let loose a couple Water Sharks right down the Lightning Angler's throat. As the constructs rampaged around inside, the big Heartless thrashed and swam around in a panic. In its panic, it slammed head-first into the cave wall, and that was enough. The monster went still, disintegrating into motes of Darkness. And as the dust and darkness cleared, there was a new underwater passageway revealed by the Lightning Angler's death throes.

Swimming through the cavern and up, the gang _finally_ reached air again. The oxygen-bubble spell came undone as the quintet (where had Jack gone, anyway?) got up out of the water and followed a passage into a very large cavern. Wading through ankle-deep water, they were met by the sight of a massive sailing ship, as big as the _Black Pearl_.

"It's our very own ship!" Sora shouted with glee as he & the others ran over to it.

"Are you certain about that?" Jack Sparrow replied, standing on the vessel's deck. "Finder's keepers, lads."

"How'd he get here so fast?" Goofy wondered.

"Jack, you already have the _Black Pearl_!" Sora said.

"Aye," the man replied, "to which this ship holds no candle. But… you take what you can, mate. Now then, my ship has a captain, but it does appear I'm in need of a crew. Suppose you'll have to do. Don't dawdle; climb aboard!"

The quintet got aboard the vessel, with Sora at the helm.

"Ready, helmsman?" Sparrow asked.

"Ready enough, Cap'n." Sora replied. "But… aren't we kinda… trapped?"

Jack sighed. "Now, Sora, I know you've made passage through straits far more dire than this. Just follow your heart's command."

After a moment, Sora nodded and smiled. And as if triggered by that, the rocks of one of the cavern walls crumbled away, and daylight streamed in as an exit out to the open ocean was revealed. At Sora's command, the _Leviathan_ set sail.

As they exited the cavern, a sudden field of mist sprang up over the waters all around them. It faded several seconds later, to reveal two more ships close by, each about half the size of the _Leviathan_: wrecks brought back up and put in fighting shape by the Heartless commanding them. The heroes' ship seemed to be enchanted, as Sora was somehow able to will the unmanned cannons to open fire. High-explosive cannonballs arced through the air and impacted the closest enemy ship, blowing several holes in it just above the waterline. A second salvo hit lower, sinking the vessel. The other hostile ship returned fire, and Sora pivoted the _Leviathan_, dodging all but one cannonball which punched a hole in the deck that began to slowly seal itself. Sora closed in, and a short-range salvo of explosive shells nearly tore the Heartless ship in half, sending it back down to the depths.

As the _Leviathan_ got clear of the island, a fog suddenly rolled in, much more expansive than what the two Heartless ships had arrived with. And then, out of nowhere, a _titanic_ sailing ship appeared off the _Leviathan_'s port side, parked right next to it. The damn thing was a hair less than twice the length of the heroes' ship! Furthermore, there was someone aboard: a figure in a familiar black cloak.

"Isn't that…" Sora started.

"Not the merry company I'd hoped for" Jack remarked.

With a flourish, the figure disappeared through a Dark Corridor and then immediately reappeared on the deck of the _Leviathan_, his hood falling back.

"Parley" Luxord said.

"You back in the Organization?" Sora asked, ready to summon his Keyblade.

"Yes" Luxord replied. "Surprising, isn't it, that they'd do me the honor? Never count your cards until they've all been dealt."

"Well, whatever you're here for, we're not inclined to even give you the time of day!"

"Come now, are you really so unsophisticated that you'd decline a gentlemanly conversation? If your adversary treats you with respect and speaks with you politely, shouldn't you extend the same courtesy?"

"Stand down, Sora" Jack held an arm out. "It's the Code. Musn't strike a pirate aboard-ship when said pirate offers to confabulate."

"Ah, yes" Luxord said. "And how could I love games and contests without honoring the rules? Because only by winning _fairly _does victory have any savor at all."

"But… of course the Code is actually more _guidelines_ than rules. Speak your piece, Mr. Luxord."

Luxord exhaled. "I'm looking… for a box. A chest, perhaps. …You know the one?"

"…Possible. I know of _a_ box. But said box is not a box you want to trifle with, mate. Trust me."

"Really? A wager, then."

"And of what nature would this wager be?"

Luxord pointed northeast. "What say we have a little race to that charming port town which you hold so dear?"

"Port Royal?"

"Yes. Whoever reaches it first is the victor. And the stakes: you tell me all about that chest."

"Against what?"

"I will get you whatever it is you want."

Jack thought for a few seconds, then smiled. "Done!"

"Jack!" Sora exclaimed.

"Then we have an accord" Luxord said, teleporting back onto his behemoth of a ship. "Now, let us begin!"

"Jack, do you really know whatever it is he's looking for?" Sora asked.

"Let's just say" Sparrow replied "there's a potential possibility he wants the chest containing Davy Jones' heart. But I haven't the foggiest notion why he'd covet the blighted thing."

"…Well, some other villains we've been dealing with are looking for a mystery box, too. Apparently it's a relic left by an ancient Keyblade Master centuries ago. So that's probably _not_ the same thing as Davy Jones' heart."

"Still," Kuro piped up, "if having that box with Jones' heart allows the bearer to control him, we really oughtta keep it out of the Organization's clutches anyway."

"Precisely" Jack said. "I don't fancy the thought of villains of _their_ caliber having Davy Jones on their leash. So, let's get racing!"

The two ships took off. At first, Luxord's ship had the lead, but then the wind changed to a northeasterly direction, letting the _Leviathan_ catch up and overtake him. For the next while, the two ships made best speed for Port Royal, sliding around islands and moving with the wind. Heartless-commanded ships tried to bar the _Leviathan_'s path, and waterspouts sprang up in its way as well, but they managed to get through it all. Finally, the _Leviathan_ crossed the 'finish line' less than two seconds ahead of Luxord's ship.

Luxord emerged from a dark corridor, applauding.

"If you'd fired at me during that race," he said, "I would've challenged you to a rather intense and lopsided naval battle afterwards. But since you didn't try to hamper me in such a manner, I shall accept the loss of this race. See what being polite gets you, Sora?"

Sora folded his arms. "You're, like, the _only_ member of the Organization that actually sticks to fair play."

"A shame, isn't it?"

"…You're up to something."

"Perish the thought. I know when I've been outdone."

"You were outdone before you even started, mate" Jack replied. "But I admire your conciliatory way of conceding defeat."

"Yes… Now, I believe I owe you your prize. But I neglected to ask what it is that you want."

Jack grinned. "Aye, that's easy. I want the chest that's abord the _Dutchman_. I want Davy Jones' heart."

Luxord's grin was replaced by a confused look. "His… heart?"

"Sora told me how some of you blokes are looking for some ancient relic box. Sorry to say that's not the box I know of. Davy Jones cut out his own heart and placed it in a little treasure chest, to keep it safe and to keep _himself_ safe from the pain of the betrayal he was subjected to so long ago."

"Hmm… Then that's definitely _not_ what we're looking for. And I have no further reason to stay here."

"Wait, you're just gonna leave?" Subaru asked. "…Will you at least take the Heartless with you?"

"Alas, my dear, the Heartless did not come to these seas at my command. They came of their own accord, lured by the evil Heart of Cutler Beckett. If you want the Heartless to leave this world alone, you'll have to dispose of _him_."

With that, Luxord vanished through a Corridor of Darkness.

Jack sighed. "The _Leviathan_ took some fire from the Heartless during our race. We'd best make berth at Port Royal to enact repairs."

Soon, the _Leviathan_ pulled into port and docked at Port Royal; some of the civilians gawked at seeing such a huge ship in their harbor.

"Look for crabs" Jack said as they disembarked. "Little white ones, about yea big. They have the sea goddess' magic in them; they'll set her right."

"Magical crabs?" Kuro asked, a little skeptical.

"Trust me, lass."

**-****_Break_****-**

After a long search all over Port Royal and the surrounding wilds, fighting through scores of Heartless, the gang finally managed to find enough of the little white crabs (which did, indeed, contain magic of a divine nature). They made their way back to the _Leviathan_, and the horde of white crabs converged on the huge ship. They made for the damaged sections of the vessel, somehow melding into the ship to patch the holes. Soon, she looked good as new again.

"There, mates" Jack said. "Fit to sail any sea. Now, Sora, one final inquiry: is there any particular reason you wanted this ship?"

Sora thought for a moment, then smiled. "Yeah. To explore the seas, free as the wind."

"Good answer!" Jack grinned. "You _are_ a pirate… Captain Sora."

Sora grinned too, but then realized something. "But Jack… Why do you say 'final', like you're leaving?""

"Ah… It's because _this_ me has run his course, mate."

A few white crabs dropped out of him, seemingly appearing from nowhere.

"…_This_ you?"

"Aye. The surrogate 'me' that the goddess of the sea sent here to help you lot. Of course, any me is still me. I may be duplicatable, but I'm always incomparable. The sea, she smiles upon us, Sora – and let's leave it at that, shall we? For now, the _real_ me has a crucial engagement at Shipwreck Cove, where the Pirate Brethren will meet Becket and his lot in battle to win back our freedom."

"Then let us help!"

"No. It's for pirates to resolve. But now you, Sora." His body began to glow, wisps of white magic drifting off. "You're as free as the winds now, and far you'll go."

With a burst of light, 'Jack Sparrow' vanished, a pillar of white crabs coming apart and falling to the boardwalk, scuttling away and dropping into the water.

"…So," Goofy said, "Jack was showin' us the way."

"Jack…" Sora murmured. "He said it was the pirates' battle to fight. But a fight for pirates…"

"…Is a fight for _us_ now, too!" Kuro finished, grinning.

"Come on! Let's find the real Jack!"

**-****_Break_****-**

The _Leviathan_ headed northeast, toward where a mass of clouds was growing. A few Heartless ships tried to bar their path along the way, but were quickly dealt with. As they reached Shipwreck Cove, they found themselves sailing through fog that cut visibility to around 1,000 meters. They sailed past multiple pirate warships, all of which were heading in the same direction, and finally caught up with the _Black Pearl_. Oddly, there seemed to be a huge wave of the magic white crabs 'flowing' off of the _Pearl_'s deck and into the water. The _Leviathan_ pulled up alongside the _Pearl_, to the latter's crew's surprise.

"Guys!" Sora shouted. "Are you okay?"

"Sora…" Will couldn't help but smile. "You're a welcome sight!"

The quintet of Team Sora hopped over onto the _Black Pearl_.

"We've all been quite worried about you" Elizabeth said.

Sora looked at a pair of white crabs scuttling across the deck. "Where's Jack?" he asked. "And Tia Dalma?"

Elizabeth & Will sighed. "I'm afraid you've missed a few things while you've been gone" she said.

"Jack has been… taken captive by Cutler Beckett" Will admitted.

"Yes," Elizabeth nodded, "and Beckett commands Davy Jones and the _Flying Dutchman_.

"Barbossa thought we could defeat them if we released Calypso, the goddess of the sea, from the human form she'd been forcibly bound in – the human form we all knew as Tia Dalma." He looked down at the crabs and sighed. "But it didn't work."

"Aye" Barbossa spoke up. "A fickle goddess Calypso be."

"So, what now?" Goofy asked.

"Nothin'. Our final hope has failed us."

'…So… Tia Dalma was Calypso' Sora thought. 'She's the one who was helping us.' He looked down at the crabs. 'And you know what? I think… that she might just be able to help us again.'

He turned to face Will & Elizabeth. "You can't give up _now_. We can all fight, together. The sea belongs to everyone!"

Stunned by his proclamation, Elizabeth looked up at the massive storm cloud swirling overhead. Everyone then saw & felt as a beam of sunlight broke through a gap in the clouds, illuminating the _Black Pearl_.

"…It's not over" she said. "There's still hope for us." She came over to the railing of the ship. "Crew of the _Black Pearl_, hear me! The Brethren will still be looking here to us, to the _Pearl_, to lead! And what will they see? Frightened bilge-rats aboard a derelict ship? No. _No_! They will see free men! And _freedom_! And what the enemy will see is the flash of our cannons. They will hear the ring of our swords, and they will know what we can do! By the sweat of our brows, and the strength of our backs! And the courage of our hearts! Gentlemen… Hoist the colors!"

As the call rang out, crewmen scrambled to unfurl the sails and man the guns, weapons and ammo being readied. The rain began to pour, muffled thunder heard from the clouds high above. As the pirate fleet moved in formation with the _Black Pearl_ at the lead, the EITC fleet became visible far ahead, the _Flying Dutchman_ in front.

The _Leviathan_ and the _Black Pearl_ advanced together, entering a truly enormous vortex that had opened up in the middle of the sea, the _Dutchman_ entering from the opposite side. The three ships began moving with the spiraling counterclockwise current, and soon the _Pearl _and the _Dutchman_ started blasting at each other.

As the _Leviathan_ trailed behind the _Black Pearl_, waiting for an opening to lend its fire to the cause, Luxord suddenly appeared on deck beside Team Sora, leading Kuro and Goofy to draw their weapons.

"So that's the _Flying Dutchman_" he remarked.

"You do remember that the box aboard that ship has Davy Jones' heart in it, right?" Subaru asked. "There's no way it's what you're looking for."

"None of us know what's in the box we're looking for" Luxord replied. "The higher-ups haven't deigned to tell those of us on the bottom rungs. Though… Xigbar _did_ mention that it contains 'hope'."

"Hope?" Sora asked. "And how would Xigbar know that?"

"…How, indeed…" Then, the man's eyes widened as he looked at the heart of the enormous vortex. "So. Jones' pet monster still lives, does it? I fear you're about to have your hands very full, Sora. Best ready the cannons…"

The black-cloaked man warped away. Seconds later, a swarm of _enormous_ tentacles sprang up from the heart of the maelstrom. Snatching the _Black Pearl _up, the Kraken hoisted the hapless ship high, and the _Flying Dutchman_ took advantage of the situation and started shooting at the _Pearl_.

"Sora, man the helm" Subaru said. "Keep the _Leviathan_ in the fight!" Then, she flared with blue light as she assumed her Stage-1 Chakra Cloak form. "I'll handle the Kraken!"

She then took off using _chi_-based flight, the rain hissing as it hit her hot chakra shroud, and started flinging energy blasts at the enormous creature's huge tentacles. Explosive cannon-shells from the _Leviathan_ and from a few of the pirate ships skirting along the maelstrom's edge chipped in as well, hammering at the sucker-covered tendrils and making a few of them recoil and sink back beneath the waves. The _Flying Dutchman_ took umbrage at this, sailing in close toward the _Leviathan_ and opening fire. The two ships slugged it out for a moment, until a shimmering barrier of Water magic sprang up around the _Leviathan_, protecting it from further fire and shoving the _Dutchman _back while starting to erode at its form. The cursed ship sunk beneath the waves and then reappeared a few hundred meters away in the maelstrom, out of the _Leviathan_'s range.

Theoretically, Subaru has enough power in her current state to _probably_ kill a monster of this power level. But the problem is that the Kraken is **_enormous_**. Judging by the size of the tentacles, the monster rivals a Tailed Beast in size. To do meaningful damage to something _that big_, she'll need more power. She ramped it up to Stage 2, her chakra shroud looking like a cloak made of blue 'fire' with intricate black markings, and pulled her hands back, the heels of her palms pressed together and fingers curled forward in a cupping pattern as powerful chakra began to build. Power built and gathered quickly, a mass of blinding blue light with motes of black soon gathered in her hands. Finally, she took aim at the massive submerged body of her target and thrusted her hands forward:

"_Bijū Kamehamehaaa!-!_"

The concentrated beam/wave of blue _ki_ with motes of black mixed in shot down into the maelstrom, piercing into and through the Kraken's body right through its open sarlacc-like mouth. The monster's screech died as it did, its internal structure torn asunder by the chaotic energies burning through it. The _Black Pearl_ was relinquished, dropping back into the turbulent ocean with a splash, as the Kraken's tentacles fell away and sank beneath the waves, the enormous creature's corpse vanishing into the black abyss.

Subaru flew back down to the _Leviathan_, which sailed over to beside the _Flying Dutchman_ to let Team Sora get aboard. They arrived just as Davy Jones was bearing down on Jack Sparrow, who was carrying a small treasure chest in one hand. The pirate grinned as Sora, Donald, & Goofy stood with him, while Kuro & Subaru squared off with the _Dutchman_'s enthralled and mutated crew.

"Tables have turned, mate" he said.

Davy Jones snarled, his tentacle-beard thrashing about. "Hand over the chest, Sparrow!"

He charged, and Jack & Sora moved to meet him. The two heroes fought together, covering each other's blind spots and giving each other openings as they chipped away at Jones' stamina. During the fight, the _Black Pearl_ came in close as it & the _Flying Dutchman_ reached the center of the whirlpool maelstrom, continuously circling around the heart of the vortex. Soon, Sora was kept back by more of Jones' men, leaving Jack to fight Jones alone. But as their fight climbed up the _Dutchman_'s main mast, it gradually became clear that Jack didn't need Sora's help; Davy Jones was clearly on the defensive, his swordsmanship inferior to Jack's.

As the two ships' masts locked together, the chest was jarred from Sparrow's grip, falling to the deck of the _Dutchman_ as Will Turner swung across from the _Pearl_. He went for the chest, only for Davy Jones to leapt down and smack him away with his crab-claw arm. Jack Sparrow came in at Will's defense, but as Jones fought with desperate ferocity, he managed to grab Jack's sword in his crab-claw and snap the blade in two. He smacked Jack away, turned toward the chest, only for Elizabeth to swing in and put herself in his path.

"Harridan!" he snarled. "You'll see no mercy from me!"

"That's why I brought _this_!" she drew her sword.

As Davy Jones and Elizabeth dueled, he managed to hit hard enough that even blocking she was sent stumbling back. He went in for the kill, only to cry out in shocked pain as Will stabbed him from behind.

"Mister" Jones said. "Did you forget? I'm a heartless _wretch_!"

He spun, his peg-leg slamming into the side of Will's head and sending him sprawling. As Will and Elizabeth tried to gather themselves, they gave each other looks that Davy Jones quickly realized the meaning of.

"Ah, love" he said. "A dreadful bond. And yet, so easily severed."

"That's not true!" Sora shouted as Jones stalked toward Will, bringing him to a halt. "I may still have a lot to learn about love, but I know what it means to share my heart with others. And it will take more than _you_ to break a bond like _that_."

Davy Jones scoffed. "What does a whelp like you know about the heart?"

"The 'whelp' has seen far more of the world than you know" Jack Sparrow replied.

"Ha! What of it?" He turned to the downed man at his feet. "Tell me, William Turner: Do you fear death?"

"Do _you_?" Jack replied.

Jones turned to look, and saw Jack holding a familiar and now-open chest in one hand, pointing his broken sword to point at whatever was inside.

"Heady tonic," Jack said, "holding life and death in the palm of one's hand."

"You're a cruel man, Jack Sparrow."

"Cruel is a matter of perspective."

"…Is it now?"

And then he turned and sank his blade deep into Will's chest. With an enraged roar, Sora charged, focusing something into his Keyblade that he'd almost never felt before: killing intent. Davy Jones went on the defensive as the youth battered at his guard, and finally the sea-man's blade snapped in two from the force it was being subjected to. Sora's next blow severed Davy Jones' crab-claw arm at the shoulder, but as Sora went for a stabbing thrust aimed at Jones' neck, the severed stump seized and then ejected a writhing spiked tentacle that slammed into Sora and knocked him away, bowling over Donald & Goofy as they tried to help. As Sora, laying by the railing along the deck's edge, tried to shake the gray out of his head, Jones stalked over to him.

"You will not forestall my judgment!" Davy Jones growled.

He lifted his sword… and then felt a terrible piercing pain in his chest. He turned to see Jack and Elizabeth beside the dying Will… and Jack's hand around Will's, having guided it to stab the blade it was holding down into Davy Jones' heart. Gasping feebly, Jones staggered back, toward an opening in the railing.

"Ca…lyp…so…"

Finally, the light left his eyes, and his body toppled over backward, off the ship and dropping into the abyss. Seconds later, the _Flying Dutchman_ began to sink, as the various mutated crewmen began to advance toward Will, chanting:

"Part of the ship, part of the crew…"

One of the crew came over to the group and looked to them: Bootstrap Bill Turner.

"The _Dutchman_ must have a Captain…" he told them sadly. "Go, while you still can!"

Jack grabbed Elizabeth, dragging her along as he and Team Sora evacuated the ship. Soon, the _Black Pearl_ turned and raced away, while the _Flying Dutchman_ capsized and sank into the heart of the maelstrom…

-X-

As the skies overhead began to clear, the maelstrom settled and vanished, calm seas returning. On the deck of the _Black Pearl_, the mood was solemn, Jack and Subaru trying to comfort Elizabeth.

"The armada's still out there" Gibbs reported. "The _Endeavor_'s coming up hard to starboard, and I think it's time we embrace that oldest and noblest of pirate traditions."

Jack sighed. "Never actually been one for tradition." He came up to the captain's post. "In we go! _Leviathan_, prepare to provide supporting fire against the _Endeavor_! _Creole_, _Wukong_, and _Tiger Lily_ are to focus attention on the _Endeavor_'s main escorts! All other ships are to pick targets and engage at their discretion!"

The EITC flagship _Endeavor_ began to approach, cannons at the ready. On the bridge, Cutler Beckett looked at the _Pearl_ with a sadistic smirk.

"It's nothing personal, Jack" he murmured. "It's just good business."

The _Black Pearl_ and the _Endeavor_ began to close in on each other, the hero crew grimly determined and ready to fight to the death. …But then, the ocean seized, and a massive vessel sprang up from beneath the depths. With pieces of coral and barnacles and moss and grime crumbling away to reveal the ship's long-hidden true splendor, the reborn _Flying Dutchman_ sped toward the fray. At the ship's helm, its new captain called out:

"Ready on the guns!" Will ordered.

"Full canvas!" Barbossa shouted to the _Pearl_'s crew.

The two elite pirate battleships sped toward the _Endeavor_, and Subaru & Kuro's enhanced eyesight gave them a perfect view of the smug look dropping off Beckett's face aboard the enemy flagship's bridge, replaced with a look of stunned, horrified disbelief.

"_FIRE!-!-!_"

The _Black Pearl_ and the _Flying Dutchman_ sailed right past the _Endeavor_ on either side, every single one of the _Dutchman_'s port and _Pearl_'s starboard cannons firing in a withering dual broadside. Wood splintered, powder exploded, and men screamed and bled and died as the _Endeavor_ was systematically torn apart. Finally, Cutlet Beckett was consumed as secondary explosions ripped the EITC flagship to pieces, the ruined vessel coming apart and beginning to sink beneath the waves. Up ahead, seeing their leader slain and the rest of the pirate fleet advancing, the EITC fleet turned and fled.

Aboard the _Pearl_, as everyone celebrated, Sora turned to look at where Elizabeth stared longingly at the _Dutchman_. Gibbs came up, a comforting hand on Sora's shoulder.

"The _Flying Dutchman_ must have a captain" he said. "Just wed, and now she & Cap'n Turner must live in different worlds. One day ashore, ten years at sea. It's a steep price."

"Will…" Sora muttered.

Gibbs came up to Elizabeth, doing his best to smile. "Your chariot awaits, Your Highness."

After Elizabeth said her goodbyes, she climbed aboard a rowboat bound for her & Will's final meeting. Sora came over beside Jack, watching her go.

"One day isn't enough time…" he said.

"Oh," Jack replied, "there's always enough time for hearts to say what's true. Sora, you know better than anyone. It only takes a moment to connect with your mates… with your hearties."

The smile slowly returned to Sora's face, small but firm. "There's always enough time… And I'm going to find them."

As the victorious _Black Pearl_ sailed away, the now-empty _Leviathan_ disintegrated into countless thousands of white goddess crabs that disappeared beneath the sea.

**-****_Scene Break_****-**

On the cliffs overlooking Port Royal, a black-cloaked figure stood. Xigbar seemed unusually pensive, his lone functional eye looking out over the town and the harbor beyond.

"Picture this" Luxord's voice suddenly rang out, startling him. "A black goat stashes away a letter, then orders a white goat to search for it." The blond Org-XIII member emerged from a Dark Corridor. "What could his intentions possibly be?"

Xigbar sighed. "Great, a riddle. Just what I need."

Luxord drew a card. "There are many possibilities. Perhaps he forgot where it's hidden," the card disappeared, only to reappear in the other hand, "or he's playing a prank," and then there were four cards in each hand, "or the letter has truly gone missing." He shuffled the cards, which then abruptly vanished. "I can think of several reasons offhand; guessing… is simply useless."

Xigbar took a breath. "Well, then just follow your orders, plain and simple.

"Yes… That's what I've always done. I followed the orders from above without question. However, I sometimes can't help but read into my opponent's strategy."

A mirthless chuckle. "Too long on the job?"

"If the contents of the box are so unknown, why is it of such critical importance to the Organization? Furthermore, was it Xehanort or Xemnas who gave the order?"

"…Well. It's tricky."

Luxord smirked at him. "All Xehanort cares about is the clash between the 7 Lights and 13 Darknesses. It's unlikely he would hold such an interest in this mysterious box. Which means, the order was issued by… Xemnas, or by the one who informed me of my task – _you_."

Xigbar put a hand on his hip, giving a cocky grin. "As if. It musta been Xemnas."

"My inquiries suggest otherwise."

The grin immediately dropped off Xigbar's face. "Oh man… You asked him?"

"What are your intentions?"

"…Look, I don't know what's inside the box. But, it's been protected by Keyblade wielders since way back when. Aren't you curious? I heard it contains information that's vital to _all_ Keyblade wielders – secrets."

"And _where_ did you hear this?"

"Hmm… I don't remember. I keep my eye and ears wide open, but I've traveled to so many different places, it's hard to keep everything straight, y'know?"

Luxord's suspicious expression turned into a glare, and he suddenly tossed a razor-edged card at Xigbar, who just barely caught it.

"If this box is truly as important as you say," the blond asked, "why now? I believe you discovered that others also seek it, and you need to find it before anyone else does, in order to keep your connection to the box a secret from those around you. …Xigbar, who _are_ you?"

The two men glared at each other, power welling up just beneath the surface. After several seconds, though, Luxord stood down with a smirk.

"No matter" he said. "It doesn't make a difference to me. It's all the same. I'm content to feign ignorance."

With that, he vanished through a Dark Corridor. Alone again on the clifftop, Xigbar scowled and tossed the card away.

"The question is, who are _you_, Luxord?"

**-****_CHAPTER END_****-**


	15. Over the Moon

**SEE CHAPTER ONE FOR (MOST) DISCLAIMERS**

PLEASE READ & REVIEW, AND TEND TO THE TROPE PAGE

**-****_CHAPTER START_****-**

Sora, Donald, & Goofy were surprised when the Keyblade led them to a more familiar place: the Hidden Leaf Village on the shinobi world. Everything looked peaceful, and the people seemed to be trying to set things up for an upcoming festival.

"Everything seems fine to me" Sora said as he, Donald, & Goofy strolled along Konoha's streets under the moonlight. "I wonder why the Keyblade guided us here…"

"Maybe somethin' bad's about to happen," Goofy suggested, "and we're meant to be able to help when it does."

Donald looked up at the night sky. "The moon looks big tonight…"

"Yo! Sora!" a familiar voice called out.

Recognizing two figures approaching, Sora grinned and waved. "Naruto! And Hinata! What are you two doing out & about so late?" He gave a knowing smirk. "Spending a little 'quality time' together?"

Naruto blushed a little and gave a nervous grin, while Hinata went red and tried to turn away.

"We're… testing the waters, as it were" he said. "All things pretty good so far!"

"I even made him a scarf" Hinata admitted with a shy smile, pointing to the red scarf Naruto was wearing.

"Good for you guys" Sora said with a warm smile.

"So, what brings you three here?" Naruto asked.

"We're not really sure" Donald replied. "There doesn't seem to be any trouble…"

"And we haven't seen any Heartless or Unversed around" Hinata said. "Odd…"

Suddenly, the ground began to shake. It wasn't very strong, just a light rumbling that went on for several seconds, making windows rattle but causing no real damage.

"Another one?" Hinata murmured.

"Been having mini-quakes like that recently?" Sora asked.

"For the past week or so, yeah" Naruto replied. "I'm just hopin' they aren't precursors to a much bigger quake…"

Hinata looked up at the moon, a worried frown on her face.

"It's strange…" she said. "I've always felt nice inside, looking up at the moon. But lately, it's been giving me an uneasy feeling. And… it looks almost as if it's gotten bigger lately."

The others joined her in looking up at the moon.

"I think I get what you mean…" Sora said.

Suddenly, Donald squawked in alarm as the group caught sight of a point of light coming from the moon. The light grew and grew, and soon they and everyone else in the village looked up in awe and alarm as a meteorite streaked overhead, a sonic boom rattling buildings and cracking glass. The meteorite passed over the Hokage Mountain, vanishing from view. A few seconds later, there was a bright light that lasted a few seconds, followed by a loud rumble as the impact shockwave hit.

"Did it come from the moon?" Goofy asked. "That don't bode well…"

"I've found you at last…" a new voice suddenly spoke. "My princess…"

Startled slightly by the sudden voice, since none of them had sensed anyone's presence nearby, the heroes turned to see someone emerge from the shadows. He was a young-looking man with bone-white skin and bluish-white shaggy hair, and his eyes were currently closed. He appeared to be wearing a white high-collared kimono (open at the top to reveal _magatama_ tattoos) tied with a black belt, along with a pale-green sash tied at his right shoulder. Hands in black fingerless gloves poked out from within the long sleeves of his kimono, and his white feet were clad in black shinobi sandals.

Naruto frowned, suspicious. "Who are you and how did you get into the village undetected?"

"Ah yes," the newcomer replied, "the sensory field you people have established around this city is quite advanced. I actually had to put some effort into bypassing it. As for who I am…" He bowed theatrically, still not opening his eyes. "My name is Toneri – _Ōtsutsuki _Toneri, descendant of Ōtsutsuki Hamura."

Hearing that familiar name, Naruto & Hinata immediately went on edge.

"Hamura…" Naruto said. "The Six-Paths Sage's younger brother…"

"And how would a Terran know of that name?"

The blond scowled. "I am Uzumaki Naruto, and I am the bearer of Ōtsutsuki Asura's reincarnated chakra."

Toneri's eyebrows rose. "I see. …However, you are not what I came for." He turned to face Hinata. "I have come to court _you_, o Byakugan Princess."

Caught off-guard by the sudden proclamation, Hinata then grabbed Naruto's arm. "I'm already spoken for" she said.

Toneri's ever-present calm smile faded. "…We shall see how long that lasts."

"What's _that_ supposed to mean?" Sora asked, summoning his Keyblade. "Didn't your folks ever teach you that when a girl says 'no', _it_ _means 'no'_?"

"A Keyblade… No, _the_ Keyblade – the first one. To think the chosen key-bearer would visit this world… But I sense the power of chakra within you; to think that you, too, would be corrupted…"

"What are you talking about?" Donald scowled, staff in hand. "Stop being so cryptic!"

"If you're plannin' on causin' trouble 'round these parts," Goofy said, "you'd best reconsider and make tracks. We don't wanna fight ya, but we _will_ if you decide to start somethin'."

Toneri hmphed. "You wish for a clear and concise explanation as to why I have come and what I have planned? Very well, then. My noble ancestor Hamura stayed behind on the moon after he & his brother defeated the 10-Tails and sealed its empty shell within the moon, to watch for any signs of activity from it and deter any who would attempt to access it. He gave life to many children, who would become we of the Ōtsutsuki who dwell within & upon the moon. And in his later years, he made a decree: should the people of this world corrupt the peaceful principles of _ninshuu_ and not recant their ways… it is our duty – _my_ duty – to use the power of my clan's chakra and technology to destroy this corrupt world by dropping the moon on it."

Naruto, Hinata, & Team Sora gasped in shocked horror, and then looked up at the moon, which they now could definitely tell was bigger in the sky than it was meant to be.

Naruto stepped forward. "I know we've had a bloody history of fighting and grudges for a long time," he said, "but we've finally conquered that and made a lasting peace! After so long, all the shinobi villages are cooperating, helping each other, friendships and love being formed between people from different villages on scales never seen before! Stopping Madara and his disciple brought the world together!"

"And now that the greater threat is passed," Toneri replied, "how long before old grudges return to the forefront? This peace will not last. You people have perverted the Sages' teachings, and you shall face judgment. The Earth's gravity will tear the moon apart, and the fragments will bombard this world, scouring it of the corrupt chakra-using humanity." He faced Hinata. "And after this world has been cleansed, we shall repopulate it with a new, purer incarnation. The Hyuuga clan is descended from Hamura's son who remained here on Earth. The melding of the Divine Sage chakra of the Ōtsutsuki clan and the power of the Byakugan shall give rise to that eye's ultimate form, the Byakugan's answer to the Sharingan's final Rinnegan state: the Tenseigan. With that holy power, our lineage shall repopulate the ravaged world, and _never again_ shall Hagoromo's teachings be corrupted by the pursuit of power and violence!"

Hinata's eyes activated as she fixed the man with an angry glare. "Even without taking into account that you intend to steal me away from Naruto, if you think for even a moment that I would cooperate with a plan of _genocide_, you are_ sorely_ mistaken!"

Toneri sighed, and opened his eyes… revealing, to everyone's disgusted shock, that he _had_ no eyes, his black empty sockets on display. "I was so hoping that you would come willingly, my princess. No matter. I will do what must be done, for the next humanity…"

Several humanoid figures in dark-grey robes emerged flanking Toneri, their heads wrapped in bandages. Most were identical, but there was an especially huge one at least 7 feet tall. Everyone got ready to fight, Naruto's body shimmering with an orange aura of Kurama's chakra.

"…Guys," he said, "Kurama says those things are chakra puppets – no minds, no will. Don't hold back."

The puppets charged, and the heroes moved to meet them. One of Toneri's puppets went for a flying kick at Naruto, who grabbed it by the ankle and slammed it to the ground with enough force to tear its leg off. Donald blasted another puppet with a Firaga spell, scorching its grey cloak, and when two of them leapt at Hinata, she used _Hakkeshō Kaiten_ to fling them away, bent and broken. Toneri began to approach Hinata at a leisurely pace, only to leap back to dodge a falling strike from Sora, Keyblade clanging against the stone paving; he wasn't sure if the ancient magic of the Keyblade would be able to hurt him, but he wasn't taking chances.

As Sora kept Toneri on the defensive for the moment, the rest of the gang kept fighting the puppets. The puppets were more durable than regular people would be, able to keep going after taking damage that would cripple or kill organic targets, but they weren't indestructible. Goofy had taken a couple down, crushing their wooden heads and shattering mechanical joints, and Donald had burned a few of them to cinders with high-power Fire spells. Naruto & Hinata caught the big one in a pincer move with a double Rasengan, shredding into it and blowing it to bits.

Suddenly, Naruto's Omnitool lit up. "_Naruto!_" a familiar voice spoke over the comm.

"Sasuke?"

"_Some puppet goons just tried to attack and abduct Hyuuga Hanabi. Neji & I stopped them; he's taking her to Hokage-sama for safety, and I'm making my way to you now. I can sense chakra flaring from your location; what's happening?_"

Naruto grunted as he kicked another puppet away. "Ōtsutsuki Hamura had kids, and one of his descendants, a creep named Toneri, is here now. He's gone bad, Sasuke; he's trying to smash the moon into the Earth, _and_ he's trying to kidnap Hinata as a concubine or something! Sora, Donald, & Goofy are here with me & Hinata; Sora's keeping Toneri busy at the moment, but I'd appreciate your help in bringing this guy in or at least chasing him off!"

"_I'm almost there, and I can sense Guy-sensei closing in on you guys, too. Hang tight!_"

Only a handful of seconds later, a green blur heralded a Dynamic Entry that sent Toneri flying into and through a playground structure in a nearby park; Toneri had sensed Might Guy coming, but Guy had moved _so fast_ that he still had no chance to evade. Sasuke arrived on-site moments later, his sword crackling with lightning chakra as he split one of Toneri's puppets in half down the middle. Another puppet went for Guy from behind, but a Strike Raid from Sora took its head off, and Guy then crushed the head under his heel before the puppet could try to reclaim it.

Toneri strolled out of the rubble, unharmed but for a couple scratches & scuffs on his kimono. Sensing the Divine chakra in Sasuke, he frowned.

"Indra's reincarnated chakra as well? How disconcerting. And a powerful close-combat specialist joining the fray, too." He began to float up & away. "Savor what time you have left, Terrans. Your world will soon meet its end. And Lady Hinata… by choice or by force, sooner or later, you _will_ be mine…"

With a flicker, he vanished, and the few remaining puppets vanished as he Summoned them away.

"Another Ōtsutsuki?" Might Guy asked.

"Yep" Sora replied. "From the sound of it, he's the Six-Paths Sage's great-great-whole-buncha-greats nephew – a direct descendant of the Sage's brother."

"We should report to the Hokage," Hinata said, "tell her everything we've learned…"

**-****_Break_****-**

Sora, Donald, & Goofy joined Naruto, Sasuke, Hinata, & Guy in the Hokage's office; along with Tsunade, there was also Shizune (and Tonton), Kakashi, Sakura, Itachi, Jiraiya, Neji, & Hanabi. After the team who'd engaged Toneri gave their reports to Jiraiya, he'd collated them into a coherent narrative which he'd given to Tsunade, who in turn shared it with the other Kagé.

"I'm glad you three have come to visit us" Tsunade said to Team Sora. "I just wish you hadn't gotten caught up in such a mess."

"It's no problem, ma'am" Sora replied. "Happy to help!" His smile dropped. "Besides, it sounds like this Toneri character is major bad news; might as well stick around and help you guys see this mess through."

The blonde woman sighed and nodded. "Yes. After what you all have told us about what Toneri said…" She keyed in a few commands at her terminal, and four TSAB-designed holoscreens lit up, showing the other four Kagé – Gaara, Mei, Ohnoki, & Ay. "You all read the report on what's going on?"

"_Yes_" Gaara replied. "_Seems the Ōtsutsuki aren't done causing us trouble yet._"

"_All the hard work we shinobi have put into ending the cycle of hatred,_" Ay growled, "_how we've fought shoulder to shoulder, forging bonds and letting go of grudges, bringing _peace_ to the world… and this cocky little shit has the gall to demean our bonds and sacrifices and decide to annihilate us all…!_"

"And _he can't seem to grasp that 'no means no'…_" Mei added. "_From what you kids told us, he acts as if he's _entitled_ to Hinata-san…_"

"_And if he gets hold of her,_" Ohnoki said, "_he could access a power on par with the Rinnegan…_"

"So," Kakashi spoke up, "how do we stop Toneri from killing us all?"

"_Keep any Hyuuga below a certain level of combat ability from getting anywhere near him, for starters_" Ay suggested. "_Hinata-san, her cousin, and her father are probably strong enough to fend him off, especially with similarly-capable backup, but as for the rest of their clan…_"

"If we can beat Toneri," Sora said, "that'll probably stop the moon's approach, right?"

"He's probably retreated back where he came from" Jiraiya replied. "We'd have to pursue him to the moon and deal with him there. And not only would he have home-turf advantage, but even if we used Team Sora's ship to get here, I'll bet that whatever base of operations he's in has defenses against that kind of intrusion."

"_So we'll need a different way to get to the moon,_" Mei said, "_or a way to lure him back to Earth and keep him from retreating._"

"That first one may actually be feasible" Itachi spoke up. "Recently, I've been traveling around the Elemental Nations, seeking for any information about Kaguya – ruins, scriptures, anything. In an old cavern, I found a complex gateway of sorts. I didn't pass through it, but my Eternal Mangekyō enabled me to read the inscriptions within. The gateway is a portal to the Moon. I assumed it was perhaps something the Sage and/or his brother used way back when, but regrettably I did not have time to investigate more thoroughly. Still, the portal should still be functional."

"Which means we can get to Toneri and put a stop to his crazy scheme!" Donald said.

"…Itachi, Kakashi, Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, Hinata, Sora, Donald, Goofy" Tsunade stood. "Find that portal, see if it works. If it does, go through and neutralize Toneri, one way or another."

"Do you have a plan in case we are defeated?" Itachi asked.

"_If all else fails,_" Ay replied, "_we of Kumo have developed a surface-to-orbit chakra cannon. We're already bringing it out to help fend off the chunks of moon-meteor that'll be raining down soon. It also has a function that will let us catch the Moon in a dimensional dislocation that will shunt it into another dimension – likely in pieces. I have faith you folks can stop Toneri, but in the event you can't…_"

"You'll do what needs to be done in order to protect the planet" Kakashi said. "Understood."

"Welp," Naruto said, "we'd better get a move on. Lead the way, _nii-san_."

Itachi smiled a little; since Naruto & Sasuke had basically adopted each other as brothers, that sorta made him Naruto's big brother now, and he was totally fine with that.

**-****_Break_****-**

A D79 Pelican outfitted for stealth ops made what would've been a several-day journey on foot (even at shinobi speeds) into one of just a few hours. It was still the middle of the night, sunrise a few hours away, when the team set down a few miles from their destination and made the rest of the way on foot, just in case Toneri or his puppets had a presence around the portal's location.

Itachi led them to the hidden cave he'd found previously, and everyone treaded carefully as they made their way inside. There were no signs of traps or puppets or anything, but they couldn't help but feel tense as they moved deeper into unknown territory. Soon, they reached a spacious chamber that Itachi claims was the last big room before the one that had the portal in it.

"There's a dark presence in here" Sora spoke up. "But it doesn't feel anything like Toneri or his puppet-things…" His eyes widened. "It feels like Unversed!"

Indeed, several Unversed of various types sprang up all around the heroes, who immediately went on guard, weapons ready.

"Such fascinating creatures" a flanging voice said. "Fledgling emotions given life and form by dark power, drawn to sources of negative emotions that they can then use to strengthen and make more of themselves… It's a shame that I can't reliably usurp and maintain control of them."

A small figure floated in, wreathed in dull red motes of light. Seeing the malevolent masked Mobian, Sora scowled and readied his Keyblade.

"Infinite… What are you up to _this_ time?"

"Hmph" the masked jackal crossed his arms. "You think I'd just let you put an end to the panic and mass destruction Toneri aims to cause without trying to stop you? I've always wanted to see what it's like to watch a world burn, and you people seek to deny me that…"

"So you and Joker really _don't_ have some grandiose or nebulous goal like the Seekers or the Sorceresses" Sakura frowned. "You two just wanna see & cause death and destruction for the sake of it."

Infinite shrugged. "I don't really see much point in coming up with complex justifications for simple desires."

He raised a hand, calling upon the Phantom Ruby's power, and the Unversed's eyes flashed red as they fell under his control. As the darklings began to advance on the squad of heroes, a shimmering red barrier suddenly sprang up, trapping Sora and Sakura in with Infinite.

(BOSS MUSIC: _Sonic Forces _– Infinite 2nd Battle)

"I suppose I can help Toneri along by either killing a few of you 'heroes'," Infinite said, "or at least keeping you occupied and giving him a little more time to work with."

"Or," Sakura punched her palm, "_we_ could put _you_ down, here and now."

Infinite waved his arm, releasing a slicing wave of blood-red energy imbued with the Phantom Ruby's unique power. Sakura, informed beforehand of how the Ruby's power could pull its victims into literally-deadly genjutsu, leapt clear while Sora defended with a Reflect spell. While still airborne, Sakura flung a few exploding-tag kunai at Infinite, who let himself drop out of the air to dodge them; he then formed a shimmering barrier of red energy to block Sora's Keyblade strikes, but then grunted as the youth hit him with a Thunder spell that bypassed his shield.

The experienced shinobi quickly finished off the Unversed in the area, and now gathered around the edge of the crimson barrier, watching the fight. Sora fired a wave of Light-type _Sagitta Magica_ that spread outward and then zipped in at Infinite from multiple angles, while Sakura charged at Infinite from behind, boxing him in. Choosing which attack he could deal with being hit by better, Infinite leapt high, dodging Sakura's bone-crushing blow, and some of Sora's magic bolts struck him, knocking him back a little.

Growling softly behind his mask, Infinite used his dark artifact's power to conjure a sentient 'phantom' of Akebino Jinin, the Mist Swordsman wielder of "_Kabutowari _/ Helm-Splitter". Phantom-Jinin went after Sakura, the two shinobi starting to duke it out and leaving Sora to face Infinite one-on-one. Sora leapt and rolled around to dodge tendrils of red energy that looked vaguely like a mass of tiny cubes acting as single tentacles, and took advantage of a split-second opening to blitz in with a Sonic Blade strike that left Infinite reeling, the masked jackal snarling as a red aura 'glitched' around him.

"You are irritating" he growled.

"I've made a habit of ticking off villains" Sora replied with a little smirk.

Infinite's fingers twitched, and a wave of dark-red 'arrows' shot out – he was copying _Sagitta Magica_. Sora dodged some and swatted others away with his Keyblade, but then Infinite closed in and struck with a fist enveloped in red energy. As Sora was sent staggering back by the punch, everything around him was tinted red, and he suddenly found himself surrounded by a dozen Infinites, each of them readying deadly spears of energy. They all fired, and Sora surrounded himself with a Reflega dome, the interlocking hexagons of defensive magic shuddering as they withstood the impacts. The moment he lowered the barrier, the Infinites all charged at him, but Sora pulled off a "Circle Raid", making his Strike-Raid Keyblade orbit around him like a buzzsaw of light, cutting through all of the 'fake' Infinites and smashing the real one away, also breaking the Phantom-Ruby genjutsu.

As Infinite regained his balance and fought through the pain, Sakura managed to destroy the Phantom-Jinin and then came in from the side, catching Infinite by surprise enough that he didn't completely avoid her punch, his mask now bearing a couple of small cracks. Letting out a low growl, the Mobian flung a handful of energy 'daggers' at Sakura, but a Reflect spell from Sora protected her while she formed a pair of Earth Release Clones. The doppelgangers charged and engaged Infinite, keeping him on his toes as he tried to avoid their crushing punches.

Finally, Infinite managed to destroy Sakura's Earth Clones… and then Sora, in Valor Form, came flying in courtesy of Sakura's full-strength toss, crashing into Infinite fist-first. Infinite was sent tumbling back, crashing into the rock wall of the cavern. As he pulled himself free and got to his feet, his mask fell apart, pieces of twisted metal clattering to the rocky ground to reveal a canid-type Mobian, the top half of his face black-furred and the bottom white, with a yellow left eye and blue right eye, the latter bearing a white scar over it (from a previous injury where he just barely avoided losing the eye), along with another scar on his left cheek from his first fight against Shadow.

Snarling, his eyes glowing red with the Phantom Ruby's power, Infinite glared at Sora & Sakura with pure, utter hatred at being unmasked and exposed. He was unsteady on his feet, and his vision was a little blurred. Despite his rage, he knew that he couldn't take them both on while a concussion was hampering him, so he opened a red warp-gate and retreated for medical attention and a new mask.

(MUSIC END)

As the red barrier came down, the others hurried over.

"_That's_ what he looks like under the mask?" Naruto said. "He doesn't even look that bad! Just a couple scars…"

"I don't think the scars were why he wore the mask" Kakashi replied. "It's probably his way of distancing himself from who he used to be, just like Obito and his 'Tobi' persona."

"As soon as these two have caught their breath," Itachi said, "we'll move on."

After a few minutes' rest, the squad headed deeper into the cave. Soon, they reached the chamber of shimmering light that was the portal to the moon…

"Well, _that_ wasn't here last time" Itachi remarked, looking at the huge 'lake' of bright green chakra in a liquid-like form.

Sasuke activated his Rinnegan, analyzing the odd substance. "It's a genjutsu trap" he said. "It's Toneri's. _…Nii-san_, 'link' with me; between your knowledge of genjutsu and my Rinnegan's power, we should be able to get this outta our way."

Itachi nodded, pressing his fist to Sasuke's, and their minds & chakra linked. Together, the two brothers managed to destabilize the complex genjutsu trap Toneri had placed, watching as it came apart and then vanished in a burst of green sparkles. The team carefully made their way down through the dark pit that was revealed, using floating spherical rocks that littered the space as stepping-stones.

They knew they'd passed through the gateway when they fell through a wide ring of light and felt a brief static charge wash over them. Soon, they emerged from the cavern… and were stunned speechless at the world they found themselves in. They were in the heart of a forest bordered by a mountain, and there looked to be a village carved into the base of the mountain. Up above, an artificial sun shone down.

"Is… Is this world's moon a Shield World?" Sora asked.

"No" Naruto replied. "We know for a fact our moon formed naturally. This… This must've been something the Sage and his brother made."

"We should head for that village up ahead" Kakashi said. "Maybe we'll find something we can use, or at least some information."

-_Break_-

The village turned out to be long abandoned, its former occupants having either left or died off centuries ago. The heroes found a few odds & ends – old fables, genealogy records – but nothing truly useful. Then, however, they came across the entrance to a huge underground chamber _filled _with burial mounds, all in neat little rows. Donald and Goofy took their hats off, held to their chests, they and everyone else reverently quiet, as it sank in that they were in a cemetery.

"They all appear to have been placed at roughly the same time" Itachi observed. "Something wiped these people out in one fell swoop…"

Suddenly, everyone could feel a strange 'presence' in the air. It felt old and powerful, but not malevolent. Then, echoes of footsteps rang out as a figure appeared – transparent, wreathed in white light. He was an old man with long off-white hair, pale white skin, a pair of horns sprouting from his forehead, and Byakugan eyes. Seeing him and sensing the magnitude of his presence, the shinobi gasped and bowed.

"Ōtsutsuki Hamura…" Kakashi breathed out.

"Young guardians of peace…" Hamura's spirit began. "I wish to apologize. My ignorant young descendant, Toneri, has grossly misinterpreted the decree I gave so long ago. You must stop him before all that my brother & I worked for is obliterated. The primary weapon with which he is enacting his plan is an energy vessel composed of hundreds of Byakugan eyes, ritually removed by him & his clansmen over the century, imbued with our clan's chakra to approximate a Tenseigan."

"So," Sora said, "we smash or disable that, and the moon will stop falling?"

"Yes, but it is not quite as easy as you make it sound. Only divine chakra can destabilize and destroy it; the vessel will harmlessly absorb any other chakra used against it." He turned his gaze to Hinata. "Byakugan Princess, my descendant, so pure of heart and strong of will, I bestow upon you a gift, with which wayward young Toneri's plot can be stopped."

Hamura's violet chakra flowed into Hinata, gathering around her eyes. She gasped as she floated a few inches off the ground, a bluish-purple glow emitting from her eyes. When she descended a few seconds later, she opened her eyes to reveal a startling transformation. The pale pupiless whitish-lavender of her Byakugan had changed to bear blue pupils in the middle of overlapping white flower patterns that glowed faintly over sky-blue irises. The others could sense the power now within Hinata's eyes, while she was breath-taken by the pure, bright, otherworldly power she now carried.

"With the true Tenseigan," Hamura said, "the power inherited from me, you will be able to disrupt Toneri's pseudo-Tenseigan weapon." He turned his gaze to Naruto and Sasuke, a small smile on his lips. "I can sense my brother's donated power in your beloved, as well as that of his son. And my brother's eyes, the Rinnegan, in Indra's descendant. With all of that at your hands, as well as the chosen bearer of the First Keyblade, I am confident that you all can prevent the mass destruction Toneri seeks to bring about.

"And, to tip the odds in our favor a little more…" he then looked to Kakashi. "The one who gave you that eye used a fragment of my brother's chakra to do it. Some of that chakra still sleeps within; I shall awaken it…"

A tiny tendril of purple chakra from Hamura reached out and flowed around Kakashi's left eye. The veteran shinobi stiffened as he felt _power_ pulse within his Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan, and suddenly everything he saw with it looked even clearer, and he could see flows of energy and presence he'd been blind to before. As Kakashi looked to his former students, Sasuke's Rinnegan eyes stared into the single Rinnegan that now sat within Kakashi's left socket.

Hamura's spirit began to fade. "The artificial sun outside contains Toneri's base of operations, as well as the Tenseigan Energy Vessel. Go, children, and save our worlds. I _know_ you can do it…"

With that, the ancient spirit returned to the afterworld. As the heroes made their way back to the surface outside, Kakashi suddenly spoke up:

"Naruto? Throw something at me."

"Huh?" the blonde tilted his head. "…Okay."

Kakashi got a bit of distance from everyone else, and Naruto lazily threw a fist-sized rock, aimed at the thickest-armored part of Kakashi's jacket. The rock was promptly pulverized into dust by the _Shinra Tensei_ shockwave Kakashi produced, a tiny crater formed in the ground beneath his feet. Then, having 'seen' and felt the power Kakashi called on and realizing she could feel it inside herself too, Hinata extended her palm at a boulder several meters away, focused her intent and incanted "_Banshō Ten'in_". Attractive force pulled the boulder to her, to the others' surprise.

"Does the Tenseigan have the same powers as the Rinnegan?" Sakura asked.

Closing her eyes, Hinata focused her awareness on her new power. "…Not all of them, I don't think" she replied. "Manipulating attraction & repulsion, and being granted affinity for all five of the core chakra elements, but not the Rinnegan's other abilities like resurrection, soul removal, creature summoning, and the like." She turned her Tenseigan's gaze on the artificial sun. "I can see a mass of energy that must be the pseudo-Tenseigan energy vessel Hamura-san told us about. I can also make out what looks like a portal leading into and out of the fake sun. It's shut right now, and I don't know how to get it open."

"Why don't we get 'em to open it _for_ us?" Goofy suggested. "We could get in close enough to draw some of the bad guys out, and then use that chance to slip inside!"

"That could work" Kakashi replied. "Normally, I'd give myself and Hinata a bit more time to get used to our new abilities, but time isn't something we have much of to spare right now. We need to get up there as soon as possible."

Sora summoned his Keyblade and converted it into its Glider form, hopping aboard. Focusing his chakra, Sasuke summoned four enormous hawks.

"Two per person" he told the group.

Naruto & Hinata got aboard one hawk, Sasuke & Itachi on a second, Kakashi & Sakura on the third, and Donald & Goofy on the fourth. Everyone took off, heading for the huge artificial sun high in the 'sky'. Goofy put his goggles over his eyes, the shinobi all pulled out and donned protective goggles from their field pouches, and Donald used magic to protect his & Sora's eyes from the bright light.

As they got in close, Kakashi and Sakura flung exploding-tag kunai at the surface of the huge bright sphere. Seconds later, a big circular portal opened up, and a large squadron of Toneri's puppets flew out riding large black & grey bird summons. The puppets started firing _ki_ blasts at the heroes, who returned fire as best they could while making a beeline for the open accessway. Once inside, they were met by the sight of numerous floating islands and chunks of rock, with two particular formations near the 'center': a chunk of stone over half a mile across that had a sizable estate and castle built into its top, and a huge crescent-shaped formation of floating stone with a sphere of stone floating in the middle. Kakashi, Itachi, Sasuke, & Hinata all focused their gazes on the two formations.

"Toneri is in the castle" Hinata said. "And there's a huge amount of Ōtsutsuki chakra in that sphere-shaped mass; I'll bet that's the pseudo-Tenseigan energy vessel Toneri is making use of."

Kakashi nodded. "Naruto, Hinata, Sora, Donald, Goofy, head for that energy source and shut it down. Sasuke, Itachi, Sakura, & I will keep Toneri busy."

"He'll likely have a small army of those puppets of his stationed in his estate" Itachi said. "Should be good stress relief…"

The two groups broke off, heading for their respective destinations. Naruto, Hinata, & Team Sora soon discovered an entrance hole on the sphere's far side, dismounting Sasuke's summons (who waited outside) and heading in. Making their way inside, they found themselves traversing across multiple concentric rings of varying diameter that surrounded an object in the center that thrummed with power: a massive sphere of golden & white energy, lighting up the entire chamber.

"Somethin' tells me this is what we're looking for" Sora remarked.

"What gave you _that_ idea?" Donald snarked.

Hinata flared with purple chakra, forming a Rasengan as she leapt high and infusing it with the purple-hued energy coursing through her, changing the chakra sphere's color and making it half-again as big. She slammed it down into the Pseudo-Tenseigan Energy Vessel (PTEV), and energy crackled across the PTEV's surface as it began to destabilize, fighting to stay together. Sora charged his Keyblade with magic and gave a mighty swing at the vessel, and that finally pushed it over the edge. The huge golden & white sphere crackled, its shape beginning to distort, and finally it burst apart with a flash of light, disintegrating into hundreds of little green orbs of light floating all around.

"Ewww!" Donald exclaimed. "They're _eyes_!"

"The energy that thing was giving off has vanished" Naruto said. "Let's go catch up with the others, see if they need any help handling Toneri."

"I don't see why they would…" Sora replied as he & the others got moving.

They made their way over to the 'main' floating island, setting down in the courtyard. Kakashi, Sakura, Itachi, & Sasuke were there, surrounded by the burnt & broken debris that was once a small army of puppets. As they set down to join them, the two groups hurried together.

"Mission accomplished?" Sasuke asked.

Naruto nodded. "Toneri's fake-Tenseigan artifact thing has been destroyed. The moon should stop approaching the Earth now."

"Now we just gotta deal with the baddie in charge of this whole mess" Sora said.

"Don't think it'll be so easy, Keyblader~"

The heroes startled at the new voice, looking around and soon spotting a familiar harlequin jester dressed in purple and white, his face half-hidden by a bone-white mask, looking at them with a fanged grin and an oppressive evil presence.

"Joker…" Sora scowled. "So you _and_ your little sidekick are here."

"Mm, yes," the clown replied, "and he was quite upset that you broke his mask. I've put him into a healing sleep to take care of that concussion you gave him, too; he'll be out for at least a day… Anyway! I heard about what was going on and decided to use my magic and my Phantom Ruby to give a little… _gift_."

"As if we'd take anything you offered us" Sasuke glowered.

Joker chuckled. "I didn't say the gift was for _you_ people…"

He vanished in a shimmer of purple. Seconds later, a brilliant blue-green light shone from within the top chamber of Toneri's castle, and a near-overwhelming presence settled over the area. Toneri leapt/flew out at high speed, landing in the middle of the courtyard, a bluish-purple aura surging around him. He began to let out low, evil chuckles, and as he looked up with a near-manic grin on his face, his eyelids opened to reveal a shimmering pair of Tenseigan eyes.

"This is it!" he exclaimed gleefully. "This _power_! With the holy power of the Tenseigan, I shall fulfill my ancestor's decree to purge the world of wickedness and corruption, and together with the Byakugan Princess I shall bring forth a new, pure humanity upon the ashes of the old!"

In response, Hinata activated her own Tenseigan, eyes shining as she glared back at Toneri, who barely held in a gasp as he saw.

"The spirit of Hamura himself gave me this power" she told him. "And he told me that you've misinterpreted his decree! This isn't what he wanted!"

"Lies!" Toneri's manic grin instantly transitioned into a near-feral grimace of rage, teeth bared. "You must have _stolen_ that power from him! You've been deluded by the hate and shed blood that is the foundation of the shinobi world! And when I've taken your eyes and wiped your mind, you will _see the truth_!"

Toneri's body was then engulfed in a flare of energy that took the form of a flame-like shroud of opaque cyan chakra. There were dark markings on & around his eyes, a set of _magatama_ markings on his upper chest, and a single horn sprouting from his forehead. A set of nine Truth-Seeking Balls floated behind him.

"Behold the _true_ power of the Tenseigan!" he cried out.

In response, Naruto went to enter his Stage-2 Kurama Cloak… but Kurama decided that no, this situation required more than that, and soon the other eight "prime" Tailed Beasts all sent a little of their self-replicating chakra to the fox's Host, and Naruto's body lit up as the familiar gold & black chakra shroud of Six-Paths Sage Mode enveloped him, his irises red and his pupils forming crosses as a set of Truth-Seeking Balls formed behind him. Then, he took Hinata's hand in his and gave her new power a bit of a jump-start, and soon she is engulfed in a cyan-colored chakra shroud like Toneri's, Truth-Seeking Balls floating behind her, a pair of solid-chakra 'horns' much like Kaguya's sprouting from her forehead. Finally, Donald & Goofy 'willed' their strength to Sora, who flashed with golden-yellow light as he assumed his Master Form transformation, the Kingdom Key in his hand and Star Seeker floating behind him (truthfully, his two allies and one enemy were as strong as or stronger than his Final Form, but that transformation only seemed to come to him when it was really "needed").

Toneri made the first move, firing a ki blast at Sora, who batted it aside with one Keyblade while flinging the other at Toneri in a Strike Raid. The attack barely missed as Toneri flipped over it, heading at Naruto, only for Hinata to blast him away with a _Hakke Kūsho _made much stronger than usual by her power-boost, sending Toneri hurtling into the far wall of the courtyard. A second later he came flying out of the rubble, shooting at Hinata like an angry teal-colored rocket, but she spun in a violet-hued _Hakkesho Kaiten_ that forced him to screech to a halt; Toneri started flinging energy blasts at her rotating chakra shield, until Sora caught him while he was distracted, landing several blows with his Keyblades and knocking him back.

Naruto formed one of his Truth-Seeking Balls into a bō staff and came at Toneri with it, beating him around a bit until Toneri formed two TSBs into a spiked shield. Deflecting Naruto's blows and then bashing him away, Toneri fired a _Katon: Gōkakyū _at him, but Hinata intercepted the fireball with a _Suikōdan_, the water-shark dousing the flames and being evaporated in the process. She flung another one at him, but he countered with a wall of stone that blocked the sharky projectile. The wall shattered into a deadly fusillade of stone, but Hinata formed a whip of lightning that smacked them all away. She swung it at him, but a blast of slicing wind from Toneri's hand destabilized it, only to be turned against him when Naruto used Son Gokū's chakra to fire flame blasts at him.

"The Rinnegan awakens non-inborn element affinities one at a damn time, but the Tenseigan all of 'em right off the frickin' bat…" Sasuke grumbled.

"Actually no," Kakashi replied, "Hinata has two inborn affinities – Water and Lightning. And I think Joker gave Toneri a little boost to let _him_ use all of them straight away."

Kakashi then leapt into the fray, his speed and silence meaning that Toneri barely reacted in time to avoid being skewered from behind by a _Raikiri_. Snarling, Toneri shifted one of his Truth-Seeking Balls into a crude sword and swung at Kakashi's neck, only for Sasuke's blade to block the swing while Sasuke's foot met Toneri's midsection, knocking him back.

Sasuke and Naruto chanced a look at Sakura, who'd been eerily still for the past minute or so… and then, with a flare of power, they figured out why. Her irises turned yellow, and forest-green pigmentation formed intricate patterns around & beneath her eyes, while a circle appeared around her forehead seal. Recently, she & Tsunade had petitioned Katsuyu to teach them the sacred art of Shikkotsu Forest, the ability that had made Hashirama Senju even more stupidly powerful than he already was: Forest-style Sage Mode.

Sakura kicked off the ground, and Toneri's eyes widened in split-second instinctual panic as he realized he had another Sage coming at him _very fast_, and he brought up a Truth-Seeking Ball shifted into a large shield. Sakura's punch tore through the shield like it was barely there, and Toneri was sent flying clear off the floating island, tumbling through the air. Naruto, Hinata, & Sora took flight in pursuit (Sora could always fly in his Final Form, and had recently figured out how to make it work in Master Form too), watching warily as Toneri regained control and brought himself to a halt. Snarling, Toneri took one of his Truth-Seeking Balls and grasped it in his hand, flooding it with energy. It turned into what looked and 'felt' like an entire tornado compressed into something the size of a fist, and then he let it loose:

"_Ginrin Tensei Baku!_" {Silver-Wheel Reincarnation Explosion} {銀輪転生爆}

Pointing his hand down at the three heroes flying up at him, Toneri fired a _massive_ silver cyclone of tearing energy. Naruto had to use Chōmei's wind control to get him, Hinata, & Sora out of the line of fire and far enough away not to get swept in by the attack's ferocious gale. The attack continued downward, boring into the ground far below and punching through. When the silver wind faded, the starry blackness of space could be seen through the hole; it had punched through to the Moon's outer surface!

"How come air isn't gettin' sucked out by the vacuum of space?" Goofy wondered.

"Something must be maintaining a breathable atmosphere around the moon" Sakura replied. "Jeez, every time I think we've figured out the limits of what Kaguya and her sons could do…"

Toneri flew down through the hole, reappearing on the moon's surface, and Naruto, Hinata, & Sora followed. Kakashi pulled Itachi, Sasuke, Sakura, Donald, & Goofy into _Kamui_-space, then vanished into it himself; he reappeared 'outside' and let everyone else out. Already, Naruto & Hinata were double-teaming Toneri, pushing him back until he blasted them both away with _Shinra Tensei_. Sora moved in to give Hinata & Naruto a few seconds to recover and to keep the pressure on Toneri, battering away at Toneri's Truth-Seeking Ball shields and then catching him off-guard with a close-range Thundaga.

As Toneri recovered, Sora got some distance, dodging wild swings of Toneri's Truth-Seeking Balls. Sasuke, Kakashi, Sakura, & Itachi having all learned ki-based flight from the "Z-Team" over the past several months, took flight and moved to re-engage; Sakura reached Toneri first, and he frantically tried to get distance, remembering what happened the _last_ time he tried to defend against her monstrous Sage strength. His retreat from Sakura brought him in range of Hinata, who formed a big lion head of purple chakra around her hand with fangs of Lightning-type chakra and punched him toward Kakashi with it. Kakashi angled a _Shinra Tensei_ to bounce Tensei at Sasuke, who Chidori-punched him at Itachi, who used a _Susanō _fist to hammer him down hard enough to leave a 'small' crater in the moon's surface.

"Think that was enough?" Sora asked.

"Don't count on it" Sasuke replied.

Seconds later, Toneri shot back up, seething with rage, his Tenseigan Chakra Cloak showing some 'damage'. He focused power into another Truth-Seeking Ball, which glowed a brilliant golden color as he held it high.

"_Kinrin Tensei Baku_!" {Golden-Wheel Reincarnation Explosion} {金輪転生爆}

As he swung his arm downward, the orb somehow expanded impossibly fast into a _ludicrously_ long blade of golden energy. Naruto and Kakashi barely avoided being obliterated as it swung down, and a shudder ran through the celestial body as Toneri's attack _cut the damn moon in half_. Thankfully, the moon's own gravity held it together, but the fact Toneri had an attack big & powerful enough to even do that was disturbing, and the heroes were _not_ keen on letting him get off another of those.

Naruto came flying at Toneri with a _Raiton Rasengan_, courtesy of Gyūki's chakra, and surprise attacks from Hinata and Sasuke broke Toneri's guard, letting Naruto's attack hit home. As Toneri was blasted back, his chakra cloak visibly wavering where he'd been hit as paralyzing sparks ran across his body, Sora flew in and started bombarding him with Keyblade strikes. Toneri blasted him back with a _Shinra Tensei_, and then his Truth-Seeking Balls glowed green and started firing a storm of ki blasts in all directions, locking onto the nine heroes and curving through the air to shoot straight at them. Donald protected himself & Goofy with a Refleza spell, Sora doing the same, while Kakashi, Sasuke, & Itachi shrouded themselves in _Susanō_. Hinata formed a sizable purple-hued _Kaiten_ barrier around herself, and Naruto simply surrounded himself in sacrificial Shadow Clones that took the blasts for him.

Naruto and Hinata came together, beginning to meld their chakra, and when Toneri tried to go after them, the others got in his way. He lost a Truth-Seeking Ball to one of Sakura's senjutsu punches, and then another to Kakashi's _Kamui_. Toneri used _Banshō Ten'in_, aiming to skewer Sasuke on a TSB-turned-spear, but Sasuke used _Amenotejikara_ to swap with a torso-sized chunk of stone. Sora bombarded Toneri with Ragnarok mana bolts, battering his chakra cloak with magic-based hits. Snarling, Toneri began to shift one of his Truth-Seeking Balls into a weapon, but then Itachi set it ablaze with _Amaterasu_, the Conceptual flames consuming and annihilating it. Sora, Sakura, Sasuke, Kakashi, & Itachi all flung ranged attacks at Toneri at once, but he roared out as a powerful _Shinrai Tensei_ deflected them all.

Then, as Toneri seethed with fury and panted for breath, he became aware of a bright glow approaching. He turned, and eyes widened in shock as Naruto & Hinata flew at him at high speed, his left and her right hand holding forward an _Ōdama Rasengan _that glowed with a mix of gold and purple chakra – the power of Hagoromo & Hamura's successors melded together in order to carry out the brothers' will to protect the world and its people. Unable to use _Shinra Tensei _again so soon, Toneri pushed all of his remaining Truth-Seeking Balls out front to block the attack, but it grinded right through them without even slowing down.

Naruto & Hinata slammed their 'Divine Rasengan' into Toneri's chest, his cyan chakra cloak being worn away and destabilized. With a roar, they pushed forward, and the explosion of power sent Toneri rocketing down into the moon's surface, regolith spraying out as a new, "small" crater formed. As the dust began to clear, they saw as a battered & beaten Toneri lost his Tenseigan Chakra Cloak. Then, the Tenseigan eyes in his sockets broke apart into red mots of light that winked out. Donald cast a Bind spell on him, too, just in case.

"How…" Toneri croaked weakly.

Everyone set down surrounding the fallen Toneri, wary in case he tried anything else.

"There's something we need to show you" Hinata told him.

-_Break_-

Brought to the underground burial chamber, Toneri collapsed to his knees as Hamura's spirit calmly but firmly reprimanded him and explained the truth. Crushed with guilt, he refused Naruto's offer to come to Earth, deciding instead to remain on the Moon in solitude as penance, watching over the world from afar.

The heroes returned home, tired but victorious, and the people of the shinobi nations celebrated as, for the second time, the end of the known world was averted. After catching up on sleep, Team Sora got ready to go, the Keyblade already bidding them to find another world with people who would need their help.

"Good luck out there, Sora" Naruto said. "And when the time comes to take the Seekers down once & for all, I'll be there to help however I can!"

Grinning, Sora nodded. "Looking forward to it. Have fun with Hinata~!"

As Naruto blushed and sputtered, Sora chuckled as he & his friends boarded the Gummi Ship and headed out, bound for another world.

**-****_CHAPTER END_****-**

Next Time: San Fransokyo


	16. Heroes

**SEE CHAPTER ONE FOR (MOST) DISCLAIMERS**

PLEASE READ & REVIEW, AND TEND TO THE TROPE PAGE (CHARACTER PAGE IS NOW GONE)

**-****_CHAPTER START_****-**

In Twilight Town, two black-cloaked figures approached the old mansion; one was a prisoner of the other, plucked from his solitude in the Realm of Darkness and press-ganged into "service". Unknown to them, a trio of locals were watching from the trees, stealthily following them up to the mansion… The older of the two stopped walking, glaring at the younger.

Xehanort's Heartless sighed, turning back to look. "What now?"

Freshly 'freed' from the Realm of Darkness, the thought-dead Ansem the Wise looked up at the white lace curtains in one of the mansion's second-floor windows.

"Please…" he said. "I have created enough victims."

"Yes, you have…" XH replied. "All the children sacrificed in the name of your research… So make things right."

"…I told you, I did not take her. Her disappearance was why I put a stop to the research."

"And that makes you honorable? You used Roxas and Naminé as disposable tools, and then threw them away. I doubt there's a merciful bone in your body. You took the girl, and hid her. Now, show me the data you are hiding here."

"Roxas and Naminé…" Ansem murmured sadly. "If there is any reason that I still draw breath, it is to atone for what I did to them. …If you _do_ find the girl, what is it that you expect will happen?"

Xehanort's Heartless smirked. "The child's memory holds a mystery to unravel – one concerning the battle we seek between Light and Darkness. You know something, and that is why you stopped the experiments."

Ansem growled under his breath. "You are completely deluded, Xehanort."

"We shall soon see…"

He grabbed Ansem the Wise by the shoulder, starting to force him toward the mansion. Suddenly, a voice called out from behind. They turned, and Pence was right there, a sly grin on his face.

"Scuse me" he said. "I'm looking for a friend who used to live here."

"No-one lives here anymore" Xehanort's Heartless replied. "Begone."

"Oh, but _sir_, what brings you here if you don't live here?"

"We're… in charge of inspecting the mansion, seeing what repairs need to be made before it can be resold! Now kindly leave, so we can get on with our work."

As XH began stalking towards Pence, Olette popped up from behind one of the columns, grabbed Ansem the Wise by the hand and started leading him away. XH turned to look, giving Hayner the opening to come flying in with a drop kick… and, without looking, XH caught the boy by the ankle.

"Really?" the human-form Heartless said dryly. "I don't suppose you had a Plan B, children?"

"…Not as such, no" Hayner admitted.

Xehanort's Heartless then wound up and tossed Hayner at the mansion's court wall with enough force that the impact would break the boy's bones… and suddenly, a Dusk leapt out from the shrubs, shifting into a rubbery spring-like shape and coiling around Hayner. The boy bounced harmlessly off the wall and tumbled to the grassy ground, the Dusk uncoiling from him. Several other Dusks then emerged, all of the Nobodies surrounding Xehanort's Heartless and his 'Guardian'. As Hayner and Pence made a run for it, XH glared at the hostile Dusks.

"I serve the Organization" he spoke lowly to them. "This is treason."

In response, one Dusk's mouth opened.

'…We serve Lord Roxas, now and forever.'

-_Break_-

In Twilight Town's tunnels, Hayner & Pence caught up to where Olette & Ansem were catching their breath.

"Are you guys okay?" she asked.

"Yeah, I think" Hayner replied.

"Nobody knows the twists & turns of Twilight Town better than us" Pence boasted.

"…You are Roxas' friends" Ansem realized.

"That's right" Hayner nodded. "So you know him, too?"

"Oh yes. Quite well. Though, we didn't exactly part on good terms…"

"I guess it was worth staking out the old mansion after all," Pence said, "because this guy here is what I'd call a lead."

He pulled out the picture of the trio and Roxas posing in front of the old mansion's gates.

"That's the only proof we have that Roxas was our friend" Olette said.

"…Tell us about him" Hayner asked. "We wanna know him better.

"My dear master" a new voice joined. "You are safe."

As the kids went on guard, Ansem's eyes widened as he saw the tall, thin, pale-blond young man emerge from the shadows.

"Even? Is that you? …So, those Nobodies were _your_ doing."

A quartet of Dusks emerged behind Even; as the three kids tried not to panic, Ansem stood protectively between them & the Nobodies. Looking sad, Even bowed his head.

"I have been waiting for this" he said. "I gave up a normal life in order to plant myself as a mole in the Organization. And when I heard Xehanort had gone looking for you, I realized it was my chance to find you as well. For you see, I too wish to atone."

**-****_Break_****-**

Four heroes found themselves strolling down a massive red suspension bridge lit by the dusk sky. Numerous vehicles were scattered about. As Sora excitedly looked around, his three friends trailed behind.

"All these cars look like they were abandoned recently…" Madoka Kaname observed. "And I don't see any blood or bodies. It's like everyone just abandoned their vehicles and fled together."

"So what could they have been runnin' from?" Goofy wondered.

"The Heartless are probably already here" Donald replied. "Come on, Sora!"

"But, I wanna take a look at the big city" the youth complained.

"It _does_ seem pretty exciting" Goofy said.

Suddenly, a blast shook the bridge. Up ahead, there was a plume of smoke surrounded by a squadron of mechanical Heartless with roughly beach ball-sized main bodies in indigo armor, a small wheel sticking out from the back of each one, flying on big wheels that had shifted to the sides, opened up, and projected pink hardlight wings.

As the quartet readied their weapons and began to rush toward the flight-form "Tireblades", a figure came flying overhead – a teen girl in a form-fitting yellow suit with wheels attached, hitting the tarmac and tumbling to a stop. Seconds later, a large humanoid figure clad in red armor flew in using boot-mounted thrusters, with a petite teen boy in purple armor riding on its back. They set down in front of the downed girl.

"Baymax!" the boy turned to his giant companion.

"Gogo's suit has shielded her from a major injury," the robot replied as he scanned the girl, "but the blow she sustained to her head has caused a mild concussion."

"Is it safe to move her?"

"She has no neck or spinal injuries. However, we should take caution to avoid jostling her too much and aggravating her concussion."

"A robot? So cool!"

The two locals turned as Sora, Donald, Goofy, & Madoka came running over.

"Hello" the armored robot raised a hand in greeting. "I am Baymax, personal healthcare companion."

As Sora started fanboying, Goofy tapped him on the shoulder. "Uh, Sora? Remember our other problem?"

"Huh? Oh, right! The Heartless!"

"Heartless?" the local boy said. "Is that what those dark creatures are called?"

Sora nodded. "We've been dealin' with them for quite a while now, tracking them down in all sorts of different places all around the World and clearing them out. I'm Sora!"

"Donald Duck!"

"Name's Goofy!"

"I'm Madoka"

The local nodded. "My name's Hiro. And you've already been introduced to Baymax. You guys have experience taking care of these 'Heartless' things? Since they're attacking our home city, we'll help you get red of them! Me, Baymax, Gogo, and a few others make up a hero team called Big Hero 6!"

**SAN FRANSOKYO**

Closing in on the sizable squadron of Tireblades, Madoka summoned her 'Blooming Hope' and 'Rumbling Rose' Keyblades, dashing in and cutting a few of them apart in the first few seconds. A rocket-punch from Baymax destroyed two more, and a double Thundaga from Sora & Donald got five more. Some of the remaining Tireblades shifted to land mode, three wheels propelling them around, but they couldn't out-speed or avoid Goofy's deadly shield-throw attacks.

As Sora swatted the last Tireblade, numerous Pole Cannons spawned in, the turret-type Heartless opening fire. The heroes moved up from car to car, using ranged attacks to take the Pole Cannons out from medium range; Madoka fired a magic arrow that pierced through and destroyed three at once when she got them lined up. Steadily, the heroes cleared the turrets out.

Then, from further down the bridge, a massive 'Rock Troll' Heartless came charging in, smashing cars out of its way like they weighed nothing; Sora and Donald almost got flattened by a taxi hurtling through the air. The massive Heartless swung its huge glowing axe at Goofy and Madoka, the former ducking and the latter leaping to avoid it; Madoka fired a wave of pink _Sagitta Magica_ before she hit the ground, the mana bolts slamming into the Rock Troll's thick hide but not really doing very much.

The Rock Troll tried to smash Donald with its hammer-axe, but Baymax jetted in and pulled Donald to safety, then fired a rocket punch at the huge Heartless' face, hitting with enough force to leave a small crack in its faceplate. The monster roared and stomped toward the red-armored robot, trying to crush Baymax with one of its huge fists, but the local robo-hero jetted backward to dodge, while Sora & Madoka dashed in and bombarded the Rock Troll with Keyblade strikes.

Donald fired a few Firaga shots at the monster, scorching its armor and burning its wrist (not the wrist of the arm holding the hammer-axe, unfortunately). The Rock Troll used its weapon to shatter a section of the bridge's asphalt and then fling the chunks of debris at the duck-mage, who protected himself with a Reflega barrier. Sora struck at the Rock Troll's legs with a few Sonic Blade attacks, forcing it to kneel, and Baymax hit it with a jet-boosted rising uppercut that knocked its head up with so much force it ended up falling on its back. Sora & Goofy leapt high and hammered it with a "Goofy Bombardier", and then Madoka leapt onto the Rock Troll's upper chest and used all her might to swing both Keyblades down at its neck. The Rock Troll's head rolled away, it and the decapitated body disintegrating into Darkness particles as its Heart floated up and away.

**-****_Break_****-**

Back at Big Hero 6's home base (Hiro's garage, basically), everyone was looking at the holoscreen display of the latest news article – talking about the Heartless attack and about how BH6's attacks did very little damage to the strange dark creatures, pointing out that the local heroes aren't strong enough to protect people from the new threat, urging people to leave San Fransokyo behind…

"Not cool…" Gogo frowned.

"People want spectacle," Honey Lemon replied, "not truth."

"Yeah," Wasabi snarked, "who needs quality reporting when you can just make stuff up?"

"I don't get it" said Fred, still in his suit. "I mean, didn't they see how awesome we were?! Sure, those things landed a couple of good hits, but we had chem-balls, and laser hands, and fire-breathing!"

"Well, it really didn't matter" Honey said. "They beat us."

"Where'd they come from, anyway?" Gogo asked.

"Why don't we ask the guys who actually stopped 'em?" Wasabi looked to the traveler quartet.

"Hiro, you never introduced us…"

"Huh? Oh, right!" the short teen came together with his friends. "You guys, we are Big Hero 6. You already met me & Baymax and Gogo, though she was out cold for it… This is Honey Lemon, Wasabi, and-"

"I'm Fred!" The teen took off the 'head' of his suit. "Don't worry, I'm a person."

"I'm Sora! This is Donald and Goofy! We're the-"

"Don't try to come up with a hero team name, Sora" Donald interrupted, figuring where his friend's train of thought was going. "You're not too good at thinking up cool names."

"Hey!"

"We don't really _have_ a team name" Goofy admitted. "Though, some folks call us 'Team Sora', on account of how Sora's usually leadin' the charge and is our heaviest hitter."

"And I'm Madoka" the pink-haired girl smiled. "Kaname Madoka. I'm not a regular member of 'Team Sora'; I'm actually the leader of a different team of heroines. But I decided to come along with these three for this op as some extra power."

"Tell us how you took those monsters down" Gogo 'asked' them.

Sora nodded, his expression serious. "They're called the Heartless. They're what happens when a person's Heart is consumed by Darkness… or is tainted and consumed by another Heartless. They're drawn to the darkness in people's Hearts, so that they can corrupt those Hearts and turn them into more Heartless. The greater the darkness in a person's Heart, the stronger their Heartless will be; they can range from weak little foot-high Shadows to enormous monsters."

"Why weren't our attacks doing much to them?" Honey asked. "Only Baymax seemed able to reliably damage them, and he had to use way more force than any regular human could withstand to do it."

"We use magic" Donald replied. "Heartless are vulnerable to magic attacks."

"They're especially vulnerable to the ancient power in Keyblades" Goofy explained. "Sora and Madoka have Keyblades, so they can cut through Heartless pretty easy. Plus, Sora, Donald, & I have been fightin' Heartless for over a year now, so we got plenty of experience with 'em. And Madoka's got lots of monster-fightin' experience, too, even though Heartless are a newer foe for her & her friends."

"Technically, Witches were evolved Heartless" Madoka corrected him. "So you could say that my friends & I have just as much experience as you three."

"So," Wasabi asked, "without the kinds of powers you guys have, we can't take care of those things?"

"Not necessarily" Sora replied. "A lot of our friends & allies who aren't big on magic- or chi-based fighting can still handle Heartless, at least the lower-end ones. You just gotta figure out the tricks to it! You guys don't need to worry; the four of us can clear out the Heartless."

Hiro shook his head. "We _have_ to help. This is our home, and we're supposed to protect it. …It's what my brother would've done…"

"But how are we gonna handle those things?" Honey asked.

"We train up!" Fred replied. "When heroes are brought low, they get new powers. It's _shugyō _time!"

"Did you read that in _Geeks Quarterly_?" Gogo snarked.

"Fred's actually not wrong" Hiro said. "I may have an idea."

-_Break_-

Soon, Hiro had put together an AR visor for Sora, black with red accents to match the young hero's outfit.

"This'll create a CG overlay that augments your vision."

Sora looked confused "…Huh?" Goofy leaned in and whispered definitions into Sora's ear. "Oh! Got it!"

"While you wear it," Hiro continued, "this device sees everything you do and logs the data. That data can be used to help us come up with training and ideas – help make us better so we can do better against the Heartless!"

"Maybe we can upgrade our hero suits, too!" Fred said.

Honey giggled. "I wouldn't mind something as cute as Madoka's magical-girl outfit. I think I'm too tall to make it work for me, though…"

She then 'hmmed' while looking Gogo over.

"_No_." Gogo said to her.

"But Gogo~"

"Honey, _no_. The day I willingly wear something pink & frilly is the day the world ends."

**-****_Break_****-**

A night of training led to the Big Hero 6 learning a few new fighting moves and also getting inspiration for new gear & abilities. Gogo altered her wheels to let her roll up and along vertical surfaces; Honey came up with new chemical combinations and a new delivery system for them; Wasabi's plasma-blade gauntlets could now fire plasma bolts; Fred's suit had ice breath to go with its fire breath; and Baymax got a new combat module based on Sora & Madoka's fighting styles.

"That should do it…" Hiro said as he installed Baymax's new chip.

"_We interrupt your scheduled program to bring you this breaking news._"

A news-alert suddenly piped up on the garage TV, drawing everyone's attention.

"_Moments ago, the city's South District was attacked by numerous unidentified creatures. Witnesses describe losing sight of victims during the mayhem. Many also said they saw strange, floating heart symbols in the vicinity of the missing victims. City police are urging citizens to stay at home. For those just joining us, only minutes ago the South District was attacked by-_"

Hiro turned the display off, turning to face his new & old friends. Everyone nodded, suits ready; a flash of pink accompanied Madoka's outfit forming (Fred and Honey had positively _squeed_ when they'd learned she was a bona-fide Magical Girl).

"Go time" Hiro & Sora said together.

**-****_Break_****-**

In the downtown district of San Fransokyo, Baymax accompanied "Team Sora + Madoka" in facing off with the bulk of the Heartless.

"_Sora_," Hiro contacted as Sora & Donald cut down half of the enemy units with a Flare Force barrage, "_I've detected an unknown threat higher above. You may have to scale the buildings to identify & engage._"

"Understood" Sora replied, watching as Baymax caught the flying kick of a Soldier wearing a spiked Viking-like helmet, holding it for Madoka to slice apart.

Donald took out the few remaining Shadows with a Thundara spell, while Goofy's shield and Baymax's fists made short work of the shadows. Madoka threw twin Strike Raids that cut through most of the Tireblades, with Sora slicing the last one in half before it could get away.

Scaling a nearby skyscraper and blasting a couple Pole Cannons, the team suddenly found themselves fenced in by a magic barrier atop a circular roof, and surrounded by five Satyrs in fancier-looking metal armor – Mechanitaurs. Several Soldiers spawned in as well, they & the bigger Heartless all rushing in at once. Baymax caught one Mechanitaur's charge, he & the Heartless trying to overpower each other. Madoka called up both Keyblades, using one to block a Mechanitaur's punch and the other to cut down a Soldier after she dodged its flying kick.

Ducking under a swing of a Mechanitaur's fist, Goofy smashed its legs with his shield, forcing it to kneel and letting him hammer its helmeted head with crushing blows. He finished with a blow that smashed the Heartless' face in, destroying it. Sora kept dancing around his opponent's attacks and hitting it in the back, eventually doing enough damage through its armor to destroy it. Baymax finally overpowered the Mechanitaur he was squaring off with, getting it in a full-strength headlock that crushed its neck. Donald cooked a Mechanitaur by finding a gap and firing off a Firaga inside its armor, and Madoka finished off the last one using her Keyblade to scissor-slash its head off. The few remaining Soldiers only lasted a few seconds more.

(BOSS MUSIC: _Kingdom Hearts 2.5 _– "Vim & Vigor")

"_Sora!_" Hiro suddenly shouted over the comm. "_Something __**big**__ is headed your way!_"

Down below, cars sped away for safety as a huge Heartless pursued – looking like a cartoony T-rex with a volcano-like spout on its back and a tail that looked like it electrical wires. Baymax got everyone down to street level, cutting the beast off, and the "Catastrochorus" let out a roar that shook the air.

"Scans indicate our target is actually three separate Heartless acting as one" Baymax announced. "The volcanic hump on the main Heartless' back and the tip of its tail are secondary Heartless."

"Maybe if we destroy them," Madoka said, "we can make things easier."

The Catastrochorus stomped forward, trying to crush the heroes between its massive jaws. They scattered, Madoka and Donald firing magic blasts at the fused Heartless, but it barely slowed down as it swung its tail like a club at Goofy. Baymax got the Royal Knight out of the way and flew at the monster, punching and kicking with his mighty super-strength, actually pushing the beast back a little. Sora joined in, hacking away with his Keyblade, until the Catastrochorus swung its huge head like a hammer, knocking Baymax away and forcing Sora to leap back as well.

The fat 'smokestack' on the Heartless' back lit up a little and spouted out a wave of flaming boulders that forced Sora, Goofy, & Baymax to abort their next attack. Madoka shifted her Blooming Hope into its longbow form, firing bright-pink magic arrows at the Catastrochorus, while Donald flung Blizzard blasts at it. The monster snarled as the magical attacks stung it, and then it leapt toward them; the two mages dodged its crushing feet, only to be blasted back by the Darkness shockwave it produced upon landing.

Sora hit the Catastrochorus in the face with a Strike Raid, and an arrow from Madoka pierced the clawed hand at the end of its stubby right arm. The beast roared as its body gained a faint orange glow, the volcano-smokestack Heartless on its back rumbling as energy & heat built up, while the little storm-cloud Heartless in its tail peeked its head out, electricity crackling around it. Breathing deep, the Catastrochorus exhaled a stream of intense flames at the heroes. Donald and Sora formed a Reflega barrier to protect them all, and Madoka started firing Watera blasts into the monster's blazing mouth, soon quenching the flames at the source.

The compound Heartless started rampaging around – shockwave stomps shaking the pavement, fiery rocks spewing out from its volcano-hump and raining down all around it, 'weak' lightning bolts being projected from the little storm-cloud Heartless in its tail. Everyone moved around, trying to keep clear of the tantrum-ing monster, firing what projectile attacks they could at it. Eventually it ran out of steam, its symbiote Heartless going dormant to rest, and Sora flashed red as he assumed his Valor Form, rushing in and bombarding the Heartless with extra-strength blows from his two Keyblades.

The Catastrochorus leapt atop a nearby building, holding its thundercloud tail high and starting to rain down bolts of lightning magic. Sora & Madoka ran up the side of the building while Donald & Goofy rode on Baymax's back as he flew up, dodging lightning bolts as they closed in on the monster. Sora & Donald managed to freeze the thundercloud Heartless with a dual Blizzaga, and Baymax struck it with a full-power blow that shattered it, destroying the lightning-generating Heartless.

Deprived of one of its means of attack, the Catastrochorus roared and started spewing volcanic rocks from the Heartless on its back again. Baymax, Madoka, & Donald intercepted the semi-molten boulders that weren't dodged, while Sora & Goofy smashed the monster with a Goofy Bombardier, knocking it off the rooftop to hit the streets below with a mighty thud. Snarling as it got to its feet, the Catastrochorus breathed out fire at Baymax as he flew past, and took a Strike Raid to the side of the head from Sora. Madoka leapt onto the monster's back and started slashing at the volcano Heartless sitting there, avoiding the frantic bursts of fire it tried to throw at her. Soon it shook her off, but a Watera spell right down the hole from Donald dealt the finishing blow.

Now without its two symbiotic partners to make it a 'Catastrochorus', the Catastrophe Rex roared and flailed about, shaking Madoka off and bashing Goofy & Baymax away with its tail. But then, Donald caught it with a Gravity spell that pulled it down, and Sora came in from below and expended his remaining Valor Form 'charge' in a full-strength double slash. The Catastrophe Rex roared and groaned as it collapsed to the ground, beginning to come apart into wisps of Darkness as a captive Heart was freed and floated away.

(MUSIC END)

**-****_Break_****-**

In the wake of the heroes easily scouring the city of Heartless, they all met up atop the big red bridge for ice cream. Sora, Madoka, Hiro, & Gogo were on an upper level above the others, gazing out at the sunset.

"My brother wanted to help people…" Hiro said solemnly. "Now, we try to do the same."

"Your brother?" Sora asked.

"Tadashi" Hiro replied. "Less than a year ago, he was… he was killed in a fire. But he always wanted to make a difference. He cared about people. That's why he worked so hard to create Baymax."

Sora lowered his gaze. "I'm sorry…"

"We know what it's like to lose people…" Madoka admitted, remembering a lavender-haired ice user.

"…He's still here" Hiro said. "In Baymax. In all of us."

"He lives on in your hearts" Sora replied.

Hiro nodded. "In some way or another, he will _always_ be a part of us."

Sora leaned back, looking up at the orange-hued sky. "And when you're not strong enough, he'll make up the difference."

For a moment, Sora wasn't Sora, and the people beside him weren't who they were…

"Sora?" Hiro spoke up. "You okay?"

"Uh? Y-Yeah, fine. Just… remembering someone…"

He held a hand to his heart.

'I'll get you two out of there so you can live your lives again. I promise.'

**-****_Break_****-**

The whole gang patrolled the city after nightfall. There were no signs of any Heartless, and seeing the young heroes was helpful to civilian morale. Suddenly, though, a bizarre sound caught everyone's attention. They turned, catching sight of what looked like thousands of tiny black cubes with teal lights molded together into a vaguely octopus-like shape, 'swimming' through the air at street level. As the strange thing floated away, most of BH6 ran after it.

"Wait, guys!" Hiro shouted. "It's not like the others! …It can't be. Microbots?"

"You know what those things are?" Madoka asked.

"Microbots are designed to do whatever you command them to by thought, via a neural transmitter. I invented them, months ago, but they're supposed to have all been swallowed up by a dimensional rift!"

"If my theory that the Heartless are from outside this world is correct," Baymax spoke, "then perhaps they managed to find wherever the microbots ended up and assumed control of them."

"From what you guys have told us, the Heartless don't have enough brainpower to control the microbots."

"…But the Organization's members do" Sora said, face serious.

"…I'm gonna go back to the garage and look into things more. Baymax, go with Sora & company; help them contain the situation."

"Understood, Hiro" the big robot replied. "Sora, Donald, Goofy, Madoka, I will be your personal healthcare companion."

Sora grinned. "C'mon, let's move!"

They took off in pursuit, having trouble locating the target or the rest of BH6. Finally, after several minutes of searching, the gestalt construct reappeared hovering over an intersection, this time ready to fight.

"_They're __not__ microbots_" Hiro contacted. "_They're a tech-type Heartless – a single Heartless mind controlling thousands of tiny bodies!_"

"So does that mean we'll have to scrap every last one of 'em to take out the Heartless?" Goofy asked, readying his shield.

"_Not sure; I'll keep scanning. Do what you can to fend it off!_"

Donald fired a few Fira blasts, and Sora & Madoka threw Strike Raids. Unfortunately, the bizarre Heartless easily flowed its countless components around, dodging each & every attack. A Thundara from Donald stunned some of the tiny cubes, but the rest moved to shield and reboot them. The multi-bodied Heartless' tendrils glowed red at the tips, and it started firing vaguely cube-ish energy blasts at the heroes, forcing them to scatter and dodge. Finally, Sora boosted up and slammed his Keyblade against the thing, but other than a few cubes turning red and rippling, there was no noticeable effect. A Blizzard blast from Donald and a cluster of magic arrow-bolts from Madoka had the same outcome.

"How are we supposed to hurt this thing?!" Sora exclaimed.

Then, as if bored, the gestalt Heartless floated up and shifted form, flying away at high speed. The team tried to pursue, but weren't fast enough.

"_Sora? You guys alright?_"

"Yeah, but the target escaped. Have you got any leads?"

"_Tons. Somewhere inside that thing, there is a core. It's what powers the whole cluster – the Heartless controlling all those cubes. You have to destroy it._"

"_Now__ he tells us?!_" Wasabi was heard, followed by a grunt of pain.

"_Wasabi! What happened?!_"

"_Let's just say it's a handful!_"

"_Team, check in!_"

"_So far, so good_" Honey reported.

"_Guys, I'm really tired of just dodging this thing_" Gogo griped.

"_Freddie getting frustrated!_"

"_I'm on my way_" Hiro said.

"_No!_" Fred replied. "_We need that big brain of yours keeping an eye in the sky! Just keep analyzing these Darkubes!_"

"_Darkubes?_" Wasabi asked.

"_They're dark, they're cubes, I call 'em like I see 'em. Every bad baddie needs a cool name!_"

"_We'll gather as much data from these things as we can_" Honey said.

"_Hiro, __please__ figure out a way to beat this thing!_" Wasabi shouted.

"_But guys, I can't leave you out there all alone…_"

"_Hiro,_" Gogo said, "_we are a __team__. And teams delegate. We need you at the garage. We trust you, so please trust __us__._"

There was a long silence, and then "_…Understood. I'll look for a way we can expose the Darkubes' core. Just keep that data coming._"

"What should _we_ do, Hiro?" Sora asked.

"_Assist and protect the others. I'll mark their locations on your AR display._"

The core team headed for Honey Lemon's location first, finding her encased in a cocoon of Darkubes, multiple spidery 'limbs' anchoring the construct in place, secured to their positions by Honey's own chemical adhesives. At Honey's own suggestion, the team's three magic-users blasted the adhesives with elemental magic, disintegrating them and weakening the cube-mass' hold enough for Honey to blast her way free.

Pressing on, they scaled a tower to find Wasabi trapped in an orb of Darkubes at the top. Madoka used a magic-charged leap to get high above, using an Aero spell to go even higher, and then made a diving strike to a weak-point at the orb's top, breaking Wasabi free. Down on the streets, a giant ball of Darkubes was rolling around with Gogo trapped inside. Sora hit with a Rasengan from high up, shattering the orb and freeing Gogo. A quick search found where Fred was trapped in another mass of Darkubes, which had secured itself to a few lampposts. A triple Strike Raid from Sora & Madoka quickly cut the securing tendrils, letting Freddie fling himself free.

"_Sora!_" Hiro radioed. "_The Darkubes are converging on a single location. Whatever's happening can't be good…_"

The team headed for one of the taller towers, where the Darkubes were flying into a single mass floating just above the tower rooftop.

"_I'm almost done pinpointing the core_" Hiro continued. "_If you need me to help-_"

"It's okay, Hiro" Sora replied. "We're on it."

They made their way through streets and then ran or flew up the side of the tower, meeting up with the rest of Big Hero 6. Hovering several feet off the roof, the Darkubes had come together in a huge ball, its surface undulating as the cubes moved.

"Okay, there's a _lot_ of them…" Gogo remarked.

"What do ya suppose they'll do?" Goofy asked.

"I don't think we wanna find out" Wasabi replied.

"I say we just smash this thing!" Fred hopped forward.

"But without a strategy," Honey replied to him, "we'd just be wasting our strength."

"If we knew where to strike…" Sora murmured.

"_Sora!_" Hiro contacted. "_I've got it! I'm sending you an AR software update. It'll show you where the core is – the lead 'Darkube' Heartless that's controlling all the others. I'm coming to he-_"

Suddenly, the transmission cut out as Sora's AR display went red for a moment.

"That's weird" he tapped at it. "Is it busted?"

As the image briefly glitched, Sora looked down to see a short figure in an Organization black coat approaching.

"Hiro, who's that on the display?"

"That's not the AR display, Sora" Madoka readied her Keyblades. "He's really here."

"The black coat…" Gogo took a stance. "He's back?"

"Are you done messing around?" the hooded youth asked in a very familiar tone.

"That voice…" Sora's eyes widened.

"Enter the supervillain" Fred said.

"He definitely has the vibe" Honey replied, chem-ball in hand.

The interloper lowered his hood, revealing a young face with upper-back-length spiky pale hair and golden eyes.

"…Riku?" Sora almost dropped his Keyblade.

"He's smaller" Donald replied. "Younger. He looks like Riku did a year or two ago, before he hit his last growth spurt!"

"He's someone you know, but from the past?" Wasabi asked.

"Riku has been my best friend since we were babies, more or less" Sora replied. "A year or so ago, he… fell in with a bad crowd, got a little lost. But then he saw where he'd gone wrong and made up for it – came back to the good guys, purer and more heroic than ever. …I think this is somehow the Riku from that brief period when he was a villain…"

"How is that even possible?" Gogo asked.

"Some of our enemies are the Hearts of bad guys from the past," Goofy explained, "brought forward in time and placed in artificial bodies. If they're defeated, their Hearts'll go back to their own times, minus any of this time's memories in order to avoid makin' any paradoxes. 'Course, defeatin' 'em is a lot easier said than done…"

'Riku' sighed, conjuring a dark red datacard in his gloved hand. "As if this stupid experiment wasn't already a hassle…"

"_…Where'd he get that?_" Hiro's voice came over the comm.

"Hiro, do you recognize it?" Sora asked.

"_Yeah…_"

'Riku' held the red card up, glaring at it. "Not quite ready…" he said.

"_That's the first chip I made for Baymax. It's full of combat programs._"

At that, the BH6 members gasped in shock.

"Programs?"

"_Yeah. They tell… told Baymax how to react?_"

"Does that mean… it's like his Heart?" Goofy asked.

"Kind of…" Donald replied.

'Riku' scowled. "Needs a little more, then…"

(BOSS MUSIC:_ Kingdom Hearts 2.5 _– "Sinister Shadows")

He turned and threw the datacard into the mass of Darkubes, and then vanished through a Dark Corridor. The Darkubes seized and shifted, taking a slightly heart-shaped configuration. It spun rapidly for several seconds, its thousands of components glowing bright green, and a shimmering dark barrier sprang up around the rooftop, trapping the heroes in with it. Taking its octopus-like form, it swung its 'tentacles' and knocked Honey Lemon, Wasabi, Gogo, & Fred out of the barrier. Sora, Donald, Goofy, Madoka, & Baymax stood firm and got ready.

Some of the Darkubes' tentacles began to glow red, and soon it was firing high-velocity chunks of red cubes at the heroes. Sora and Madoka leapt and rolled to evade, Donald & Goofy defended with Reflect and shield, and Baymax rocket-punched away the 'blasts' coming at him. The Darkubes then shifted into their four-pronged heart formation, but this time a quick hack by Sora's visor disabled the optic-camouflage cloak around an extra-large (roughly head-sized) cube floating in the center of the formation, a pair of beady little yellow eyes glaring down at the heroes.

"The core!" Donald cried, firing a Blizzard blast at it. The spell hit home, and the Darkubes rattled angrily as they shifted configuration again. The mechanical Heartless hovered overhead, shifting into a rough diamond shape and glowing red. A red light was projected down from the tip as the Darkubes floated around, taking position right over Sora. The boy's eyes widened and he threw himself aside as the Darkubes crashed down at him, the roof shuddering from the impact. Red cubes spread out from the epicenter, flowing back together after a few seconds.

The Darkubes, still red, took a galaxy-like configuration and starting to spin rapidly while flying around like a giant shuriken. Everyone hit the dirt, Madoka barely avoiding a blow that would've knocked her senseless, and the hostile construct started bouncing at angles off the walls of the dark barrier, pinballing around and forcing the heroes to keep moving, dodging by narrow margins (except Baymax, who simply flew up & over). A Thundaga from Donald made some of the Darkubes lock up, forcing the Heartless to revert to their default form. With the core briefly exposed again, Baymax nailed it with a rocket-punch, leaving a tiny crack in its surface.

Floating high and back, the Darkubes turned red and shifted into a giant fist. After winding up for a couple seconds, the giant red fist came shooting down, aimed at Sora, Donald, & Goofy. They only partially managed to dodge, left reeling by the hit, but Donald used Curaga to get himself & his partners back on their feet. Meanwhile, as the Darkubes' core emerged and began pulling the other components back together, Madoka rushed in and started beating it around with her Keyblades, racking up quite a bit of damage.

Jittering in the air and giving off sparks, the Darkube Core called its components back and assumed the octopus-shape again. The Darkubes started firing off crimson cube-blasts again, and Sora blasted at the mass with Fira shots while dodging. The Darkubes then went for the giant galaxy-shuriken attack again, and Madoka leapt high, shifting her Blooming Hope into its longbow form, and fired a bright pink arrow down right into the mass' center as it was passing by, destabilizing it and stunning the Darkubes. The Darkube Core emerged again, and Madoka fell down toward it with both Keyblades ready while Sora came in from the side, three slashes cutting across and through the core.

(MUSIC END)

The Darkube Core seized and sparked, and then it disintegrated into dozens of tiny red fragments as the captive Heart floated away. The crimson datacard tumbled out and slid to a stop a few feet away. Hiro ran over to the chip, only for 'Dark Riku' to appear right beside it.

"Oh, this isn't for _you_" he taunted, picking the datacard up. "At least, not until we're done."

He leapt high to avoid an attempted surprise attack from Sora, landing atop a nearby AC unit.

"Why are you even here?" Sora asked, Keyblade ready.

Dark Riku smirked. "To see if we can recreate a Heart from data." He looked at Baymax. "That walking balloon over there has a Heart. At least, that's the nonsense I'm supposed to believe."

"There are Hearts all around us" Sora said. "We only have to _see_ it for it to become real!"

"Where'd you even _get _that?!" Hiro stomped forward. "I _made_ that chip!"

"Oh, sorry about that" Dark Riku replied. "But I promise: I'll put it right back where I found it…"

With that, he vanished through a Dark Corridor.

"We have to get after him!" Hiro said.

"That would be ill-advised, I am afraid" Baymax replied, standing by the rest of BH6 – all of them banged-up and tired. "Our teammates are exhausted. I strongly recommend rest."

Hiro sighed. "You're right. Let's regroup."

-_Break_-

As Maleficent and Pete strolled down an empty highway, Dark Riku appeared in their wake.

"Why are you two snooping around?" he asked.

"That is none of your concern" the sorceress replied dismissively.

The Replica smirked. "Overstep, and darkness will consume you again."

The old sorceress smirked too. "What an _interesting _thing to say. However, I believe I shall go about doing whatever I please. As should you."

Dark Riku chuckled. "Oh, I intend to…"

"Who's he?" Pete asked as the Org-13 member vanished. "Friend of yours."

"Yes," Maleficent replied, "though I could not tell you from _when_…"

**-****_Break_****-**

The next morning, everyone was gathered in Hiro's garage.

"C'mon guys," Fred looked around at his tired and dejected fellows, "what's with all the long faces? Did you forget that we _won_?!"

"Not _now_, Fred" Gogo growled.

"So," Wasabi spoke up, "Sora, we're dealin' with some evil clone of your childhood friend?"

"Goofy said it's a version of this 'Riku' from a brief period in the past where he was a bad guy" Honey replied.

Goofy nodded. "He's with Organization XIII, our arch-enemies."

"And if his current Replica body is 'killed', his soul will go back to its own time-period, without any of his memories from _this_ time" Madoka added. "Riku is one of Sora's most loyal allies now, a warrior of justice, but… well, his journey to that point wasn't an easy one. At least this shouldn't affect his path back to the Light…"

"So, how'd he get Hiro's chip?" Wasabi wondered.

"And what did he mean about an 'experiment'?" Honey asked.

"What are they even _here_ for?" Gogo frowned.

"He said they're trying to recreate a Heart from data," Sora replied, "but I don't know what they _really_ want. None of us do. These guys – they show up, and instead of fighting fair & square, they go for the heart and say things to try & get under your skin. …And now, they're doing it to all of you. It's our fault."

"No" Hiro replied. "This could be good. That chip might finally be able to give me some answers."

"You said that you made it, right?"

"Yeah. _This_ Baymax" he gestured to the big white med-bot beside him "is actually the second model, though bearing all the memories of the first. It's a… long story. But the first Baymax, and the chip I made… vanished into another dimension, along with the microbots. The chip's back… so the first Baymax might be back, too."

There was a long, solemn silence.

"Those who suffer a loss require support from friends and loved ones" Baymax stated.

Suddenly, there was a dull thud and a slight shuddering in the ground. Hiro hurried over to his computer, calling up a live newsfeed from downtown; the Heartless were back, along with another instance of Darkubes.

**-****_Break_****-**

Atop a rooftop, BH6 and the traveler quartet squared off with another mass of Darkubes.

"Hope it's learned some new tricks" Gogo remarked.

"Let's see how it fared against _all _of us" Wasabi said.

"Freddy want smash!"

"Our probability of success is quite high" Baymax decreed.

"It's not the sum of our parts" Hiro said. "It's the sum of our Hearts."

"Which adds up to _what_?" Dark Riku called from atop a nearby balloon. "Show me."

He then leapt down, summoning his Soul Eater blade, and with a single strike he killed the Darkube Core. With a feral grin, he looked up while holding the crimson datacard, a subtle dark aura surrounding it.

"Almost there…" he said. "This pile of junk collected the data we needed… The terror of being attacked without warning… The despair of having no place to run… The longing for _vengeance_…"

"A Heart is more than that!" Sora shouted.

"It's working together!" Wasabi added.

"Smiling at something funny!" Donald & Goofy together.

"Trusting friends" Hiro.

"Happiness, sadness, love, anger, courage, fear… You can't make a Heart with only _half_ of those things!" Madoka shouted.

"In every Heart," Sora said, "there's _hope_."

"You're right" Dark Riku replied. "That's why I made sure our creation fought _you_. Now the data contains a complete Heart."

"A Heart made from conflict? That can't be real."

"What was it you said, Sora? 'I only have to see it for it to become real'? So, let's see it."

He turned and held a hand high, and a swirling black & purple portal appeared overhead. The inert Darkubes started floating up and being sucked in.

"First, we need a vessel…"

Once the last Darkubes were sucked in, a few seconds later a shell of them slowly floated out, shifting and red. The sphere began to contract and change, soon revealing a very familiar rotund white body which was quickly enveloped in dull purple & grey armor, a crackling fist of Darkubes over its right arm.

"That's…" Hiro breathed out. "That's the original Baymax…"

"This puppet has lost his Heart" Dark Riku said. "He won't wake up. Rather, there's no 'him' to wake up; it's an empty shell now. …Let's fix that." He held up the red chip. "I _did_ promise I'd put this back where I found it…"

He floated it up, slotting it into a receiver that emerged from the inert Baymax's left chest. After a second, the purple-armored robot's photoreceptors came to life with a red light.

"But there's one piece missing" Dark Riku continued. "Sora, you're the one who's going to complete this Heart. You can't have a Heart without sadness… without _loss_. You see, you're going to destroy Hiro's 'friend' right in front of him."

He vanished through a Dark Corridor, and the Dark Baymax took flight and charged right at the stunned Hiro. Baymax came in with a flying shoulder tackle at the last second, knocking his evil counterpart off the roof; the Dark Baymax resurfaced a few seconds later, hovering and glaring.

"Hiro, tell us" Sora said. "What should we do?"

"…Baymax means everything to me. But that chip isn't who he is. I already made that mistake once before. Tadashi wouldn't want there to be a Baymax who hurts people. Sora… he _has _to be stopped."

"Okay. Help your teammates. You can leave this guy to _us_."

"Thank you. …Baymax, help Sora and his friends take down your old body."

(BOSS MUSIC: _Kingdom Hearts III _– [Vs. Davy Jones / Dark Baymax]

Baymax took flight, letting Sora climb on his back, while Madoka formed her Blooming Hope into its Keyblade Glider form – the same basic type as Aqua's. Sora was enveloped in a flash of blue as he took on his Wisdom Form for greater long-range capability in the coming dogfight. They took off in hot pursuit, catching up to the hostile entity in the skies over downtown San Fransokyo. Dark Baymax turned to face them and summoned several rotating cubes of red & black, drifting towards the flying heroes. Sora blasted one of them with a mana bolt from his Keyblade, and it exploded like an anti-aircraft shell; seeing that, Baymax got some distance, giving Sora room to shoot down some of the flak-mines while Madoka blasted the rest with her Glider's mana-arrow blaster.

Sora & Baymax closed in, the former firing off a few mana blasts. The two Baymaxes met with a crash, fists locked together as they tried to outmuscle each other. Dark Baymax's microbot wings shifted and extended forward like spears stabbing at Baymax, but Sora batted them away with his Keyblade, while Baymax managed to start landing punches. Dark Baymax gathered the crimson microbots around itself, and Baymax broke off his attack and lurched backward to avoid being skewered by the porcupine-esque defense the mini-droids formed into.

The dark-microbot spikes surrounding Dark Baymax angled forward and shot out as deadly javelins, forcing Baymax to flit about dodging them, with Sora casting Reflect spells as additional defense. Madoka came in from behind & to the side, hitting Dark Baymax with pink magic-arrows as she closed in. Once she got close she leapt off her Glider with Rumbling Rose in hand, her inherited Keyblade being used to slash and smash the corrupted robot a few times before landing atop her autopiloting Glider and zipping back out of retaliation range.

Dark Baymax conjured several glowing red cubes which floated in formation and projected thin laser beams to 'connect' to each other, forming a deadly grid that flew at Sora & Baymax. Madoka came to the rescue, a Strike Raid with Rumbling Rose cutting through and destroying several laser cubes, creating enough of a gap for Sora & Baymax to slip through. Sora blasted Dark Baymax with rapid-fire mana bolts from his Keyblade, while Baymax sent his evil counterpart tumbling through the air with a mighty haymaker.

Madoka approached from the side, firing magic arrows and Firaga shots at Dark Baymax. The corrupted robot turned and summoned a rolling wave of Darkube javelins that speared down from above, forcing her to weave and roll her Keyblade Glider to avoid being skewered. She focused her chakra and released a slicing blade of wind, and when Dark Baymax formed a shield to block the attack, Sora & Baymax came in from behind and unleashed a furious barrage of blows against the corrupted robot's unguarded back. It culminated with Sora charging all his might into a downward Keyblade strike that knocked Dark Baymax downward and cracked its armor.

Recovering from Sora's blow, armor giving off sparks and smoke, Dark Baymax grabbed regular Baymax by the ankle and started pulling him down. The two robots got into a tumbling brawl as they fell, but finally Baymax fired off a point-blank rocket punch imbued with magical power from Sora. Dark Baymax's photoreceptors went dark, and Baymax broke off and regained control just before his evil counterpart slammed into the street.

(MUSIC END)

Baymax set down, Sora dispelling his Wisdom Form and leaping off, and they hurried over to the smoking, sparking body just as everyone else arrived. Hiro looked solemnly at the downed figure.

"Guys… Hiro…"

"So…" Wasabi spoke up. "Did we stop him?"

Hiro started to approach. "Safety Mode kicks in if he's put under too much stress, so he's probably just in stasis lock. We'll have to destroy the chip if we want to be certain."

"But… are you sure?" Honey Lemon asked.

"Yeah dude," Fred added, "you don't need to go _that_ far."

"Maybe we can find another way" Gogo suggested.

Hiro reached over to Dark Baymax's chest compartment, tapping the small circle on the upper left and withdrawing the crimson datacard that was revealed. "It's the right thing to do…" he said, looking at the red chip with wisps of purple Darkness.

Suddenly, Dark Baymax's armor and shapeshifting right claw began to rapidly disintegrate, Darkubes floating away and coming apart. Soon, all that remained was the chubby white base body. Hiro slowly, sadly laid his hand on it.

"Tadashi would've done the same…" he said softly, choked up.

"But, Hiro…" Sora came forward. "Isn't that Baymax's Heart?"

"…It's okay. Baymax is _here_." The boy held a hand to his heart, then looked at the chip in his gauntleted hand. "I… should be the one."

*CRUNCH*

**-****_Break_****-**

…In Hiro's garage, artificial eyes opened, taking in a gathering of young heroes.

"Hello. I am Baymax, your personal healthcare companion."

As everyone cheered, Hiro ran into Baymax 1's arms, and Baymax 2 quickly joined the hug.

**-****_Break_****-**

In the Radiant Garden courtyard, two black-coated figures met in secret.

"_WHAAA-mmph?!_"

Demyx's outburst was quickly muzzled by Vexen's gloved hand.

"Quiet, you dunce!" Vexen whispered.

"But dude, why would you pick _me_?"

"I cannot let the 'chosen' catch wind of this, understand?"

Demyx frowned. "Oh, I see; it's because I got benched!" he snapped.

"I got 'benched', too!"

"H-Hey, quiet!"

Vexen cleared his throat.

"Okay, man, look" Demyx continued. "Real talk? Backstabbing those guys would be stupid. If they find out, we're dead. I mean, what's in it for me?"

"…Forgiveness."

"Huh? For what?"

"Men like us… in the pursuit of science, we sometimes make terrible mistakes - lose sight of our mission to help people. But now I can _help_ someone with my research. Now, I can atone."

"…I'm not a scientist."

"W-Wait, wait!" Vexen caught him as he tried to walk away.

"C'mon, dude. I'm useless, I'm chicken, we're not friends… I can count the number of times you & I have hung out on one hand – _less_ than one hand! I didn't even _know_ you in the old life!"

"Fine, _fine_! But listen."

He pulled Demyx closer, whispering startling revelations in the younger man's ear.

"Huh? …Huh?! No way!"

"It's true. The whole thing was _his_ idea. He wants to atone, too. But, he is one of the chosen, so his hands are tied. Hence my actions on his behalf, hence my need for you to act on _my_ behalf should all go awry. As you said, we are far from friends. No-one would ever suspect you."

"Hmm… So, I'm not doing any fighting?"

"Correct. And more importantly, no benchwarming."

Demyx grinned. "Ha! Okay, sign me up!"

**-****_CHAPTER END_****-**

1\. Yes, I know that in the movie, Baymax's core personality chip – his Heart – is what ends up with Hiro and is used to make him a new body, while the chip left behind is just a combat programming chip. But apparently the makers of _KH3_ didn't know that or decided to change it, and I didn't know how I could rewrite things, so I just stuck with what the canon game did.

2\. Yes, I know that 'Dark Riku' is actually the past-self of the Castle Oblivion Riku Replica, not of Ansem-Possessed Riku. But the heroes don't know that yet.


	17. Colors

**SEE CHAPTER ONE FOR (MOST) DISCLAIMERS**

PLEASE READ & REVIEW, AND TEND TO THE TROPE PAGE (CHARACTER PAGE IS NOW GONE)

**-****_CHAPTER START_****-**

**Realm STH-17**

Feeling like things were coming to a head, and wanting to strategize together, all seven PreCure teams met up with Sonic & company on the latter's homeworld. They had no idea how Joker & Infinite would react to the beginning of the final clash of the Seekers of Darkness, a clash everyone knew was coming soon. Would the gruesome twosome stay on the sidelines and then make trouble after the dust had settled? Would they join the fray and fight against one side of the conflict, or maybe against both? Would they offer their services to the 'Three Sorceresses'?

"From what I've heard," Rouge the Bat said, "it sounds like the final clash between the Guardians of Light and the Seekers of Darkness is only a couple of days away. Everyone is as ready as they can be, given the circumstances."

"I kinda wish I'd gotten to come with Madoka-chan to the last world Team Sora visited…" Miyuki (Cure Happy) said. "Fighting alongside a brand-new team of superheroes…"

"Do you think any of the Puellae Magi will be able to help in the big clashes coming?" Hime (Cure Princess) asked.

"The core six, probably. Madoka-chan's a Keyblade wielder, after all. I don't know about the rest."

After a small army of Puella Magi Nobodies were slain on Ulnar, their original selves had all started coming back into existence, retroactively freed from the Incubators' "curse" thanks to Madoka's super-wish. They'd all formed an international support network of sorts with Madoka elected as the leader, and worked to give each other backup and get each other out of dangerous home situations (a few Puellae Magi in more misogynistic nations like Saudi Arabia had needed to flee for Europe, the U.S., or Japan). One 'local' PM brought back by her Nobody's destruction, a younger girl named Nagisa, had become adorably attached to Mami…

"Illya-chan will probably be there, too" Mana (Cure Heart) said. "She's one of our heaviest-hitting Keybladers, after all."

"It's probably gonna be all-hands-on-deck for all of the DDF's various 'magical girls'" Amy Rose replied.

"Erika-chan, too? The American one, I mean" Yayoi (Cure Peace) asked. "She uses magic, she's a young girl, so isn't she a magical girl?"

"Her outfit isn't frilly enough, I don't think…" Akane (Cure Sunny) replied dryly. "Though, considerin' she & Illya-chan are so buddy-buddy now, she'll probably show up, too. Plus, she's another high-level Keyblade bearer and all…"

Shortly after meeting each other, Illya Einzbern and Erika Swanson had very quickly become close friends, thanks in part to their similarities – both little girls were easily-flustered worrywarts with occasional self-doubt issues but unwavering courage and dedication when it came to looking after their friends and loved-ones. Their friendship had quickly led to Erika becoming friends with Miyu & Kuro, those two & Illya befriending Erika's boyfriend & girlfriend Timmy & Mariko, and from there the other four of Theta Team as well. (And, of course, Illya's mother Irisviel, with her love of cute kids and powerful maternal instincts, delighted in fawning over Erika & her teammates…)

Suddenly, Tails came sprinting into the garden where everyone was hanging out and discussing, looking near to panic.

"The city's under attack!" he shouted. "It's a whole bunch of Phantom Clones of different enemies we've all faced before, backed up by a great big horde of Phantom-Ruby copies of Heartless and Eggman's robots!"

"Well, that answers what Joker's gonna do" Hibiki (Cure Melody) said. "Girls, spread the word! Time to go to war!"

**-****_Break_****-**

The city of Metropolis was in peril. People panicked and fled as hordes of evil robots and shadowy creatures wrought havoc, led by numerous red-auraed figures who were in turn taking orders from a pair of incredibly dangerous villains. Phantom-Ruby copies of Metal Sonic, Chaos, several of the various "lieutenants" the PreCure teams had faced in the past, scores of Eggbots and Heartless, even a few Protoss-Zerg Hybrids…

The various Cures and the local heroes (Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Shadow, Omega, Rouge, Amy, Silver, Cream, Big, Team Chaotix) split up to handle different trouble spots and high-ranking enemies, keeping in contact via a magic telepathy network set up by the Cures' various fairy partners. The various magical girls made short work of Heartless and Eggbots, but as soon as a certain amount of them were 'killed', Joker or Infinite would just use the Phantom Ruby to make more, keeping the enemies' numbers more-or-less steady.

Vector was squaring off with Phantom-Kumojacky, strong enough to match the copy-Desertrian blow for blow (for now). The crocodile-Mobian leapt back to dodge a sweeping kick, then released a sonic roar that blew Phantom-Kumojacky back when he tried to press his attack. About a block away, Phantom-Chaos used its malleable body to dodge or withstand blows from Cures Sword and Sunshine that would've laid anyone else out. Even so, the two girls were attacking enough to keep it on the defensive, not giving it room to attack them back. Similar fights had broken out across the city – Knuckles and Cure Sunny vs. Phantom-Gametsu, Cure Muse & Cure Felice vs. Phantom-Falsetto, Amy and Tails vs. a Phantom-Stealth Sneak…

Silver used his telekinesis to hoist a Phantom-Large Body into the air and used it as a wrecking ball to flatten several Phantom-Soldiers and knock a Phantom-Eggbot over. He began to turn as he suddenly heard an Akanbe creeping up on him, only for the monster to get blindsided by a full-strength Homing Attack from a familiar blue blur; Sonic nailed it a few more times, and Silver pitched in with psychokinetic blasts, wearing it down and keeping it pinned until a purifying attack from Cure Ace finished it off.

Shadow and Cure Shade had teamed up again, fighting Phantom-Gula and a pack of Phantom-Heartless. Her enchanted glaive allowed her to effortlessly carve through the small fry, while he was too fast & agile for the bulky Gula-copy to land a hit on. Elsewhere, Cure Melody and Cure Flora were taking on Phantom Clones of Bel, Wolfrun, and Cobraja, the two semi-official leaders of the whole Pretty Cure alliance keeping three high-level enemies at bay, fighting together near-seamlessly. Flora flipped over a sliding kick from Phantom-Cobraja and blasted him with _Lys Tourbillon _before he could recover, while Melody stunned Phantom-Bel with a kick to the face and redirected Phantom-Wolfrun's charge to toss him into Bel.

All in all, things were going well, the heroes slowly but surely pushing the villain forces back. But then, Joker & Infinite drew upon more of the Phantom Ruby's power. Clones of Infinite started popping up and attacking, all enemy units got a little stronger, gravity started becoming randomly stronger, weaker, or different-directioned in certain places…

"Come on, you guys!" Sonic shouted. "We're not gonna let this beat us, are we?!"

"Everyone, stay strong!" Cure Flora said. "We can do this!"

"Don't let them throw you off" Shadow said. "Keep calm and push forward!"

"We've all faced bigger, badder threats than these!" Cure Melody shouted. "Let's punch through and end this!"

Gradually the heroes rallied, adjusting to the increasing difficulty against them and regaining some of their momentum. Unfortunately, Joker and Infinite took notice of the catalysts for that…

Cure Melody blasted Phantom-Wolfrun back with a Miracle Heart Arpeggio shot, and she spun around as she sensed another presence behind her… and came face-to-face with Joker, a wicked grin on his face and the 'original' Phantom Ruby in his hand.

"Nothing's going to happen to you, my dear" he said, the Phantom Ruby lighting up. "Nothing at all, forever and ever, in the void of Null-Space!"

A swirling black & purple hole in reality opened up, starting to suck Cure Melody in. Hibiki growled as she strained against it, but then Joker flash-stepped behind her and kicked her in the back, knocking her through the rift, which then closed. Elsewhere on the battlefield, Tails & Knuckles watched with shock as Infinite suddenly appeared, dodged Sonic's reflexive attack, grabbed Sonic by the arm and hurled him through a black & purple vortex before anyone could react. Cure Flora was next, grabbed from behind by Infinite while busy fighting Phantom-Bel and shoved into a Null-Space rift. Finally, Shadow dodged an attempt by a Phantom Clone of Joker to snag him, only for an energy blast from the real Joker to send him sailing through a rift.

"The brave, bold, shining stars who led you all," Infinite proclaimed, "the sources of your courage and defiance, have been lost forever! They have been thrown into the infinite void of Null Space, a place between places from which there is no return! The only time they'll ever see anyone besides each other again is when I go there later to kill Shadow the Hedgehog with my bare hands!"

"Hmm, the other PreCure team leads are still in play, though" Joker said. "I'm not too keen on having _all_ of them in Null-Space. …Why don't we get rid of them next?"

He snapped his fingers and held his Phantom Ruby aloft, and tendril-like masses of black & red cubes sprang up around Cures Blossom, Happy, Heart, Lovely, & Miracle, trapping them in 'cocoons' of dark power imbued with anti-magic.

"No…" Silver breathed out, horrified. "The future I've worked so hard to prevent… Without Sonic & Shadow, the world will burn!"

The Cures tried to free the five trapped team leaders, but the 'shells' they were trapped in were made of Phantom Ruby 'matter', meaning they were durable and would catch any melee-attackers in potentially deadly genjutsu. Plus, the numerous enemy Phantom Clones were attacking them still, keeping them from being able to blast away at the 'prisons' or figure out how to open them.

"What do we do?!" Cure Princess cried.

"Sonic can't be just _gone_ like this!" Amy was starting to panic.

"Your leaders are _gone_" Infinite said, his voice heard by all. "And there is no escape for those of you who remain. You will know fear, then pain, and then… Well, at least the fear and pain will end…"

"No!" Cure Magical shouted defiantly. "We can't give in! We _won't_! After all the trials we've all been through, we can't let this beat us! We can't let _them_ beat us!"

"She's right!" Knuckles said. "We've come too far to back down now! Sonic and the others have always inspired us, and they don't need to be present to do that! We have to follow the example they set for us! They've never given in, so neither will we!"

"We have to do this!" Cure Rhythm shouted. "We have to do them proud!"

Even with their leadership gone, the heroes & heroines managed to gather their courage and keep fighting. They struggled a little more than before, their advance slowed, but still they fought their hardest to press onward, teams forming and supporting each other. Phantom-Akaoni was the first major foe to fall – ganged up on by Cure Peace, Cure Felice, and Big the Cat while Team Chaotix kept enemy foot-soldiers from supporting him, weakened by a Peace Thunder Hurricane and vanquished by Emerald Reincarnation.

But then, Joker took to the field personally, hitting a stunned Cure Rhythm with a Darkness-charged kick that nearly snapped her spine even with her transformation's protective magic. He blasted E123 Omega with a bolt of dark lightning that shorted out the robot warrior's systems, formed a shimmering red barrier to block a Blue Forte Wave from Cure Marine, caught Cure March in a Phantom-Ruby genjutsu of bugs crawling all over her that left her screaming and thrashing around, caught Rouge's flying kick and used her as a flail to beat Amy Rose into the ground, and when a Scarlet Prominence attack came roaring at him, he projected a deep-red flame from his Phantom Ruby that shoved Cure Scarlet's attack back, the two flames canceling each other out.

"Sorry, but I'm here to show you all that you can't live up to your own hype!" he said. "Against both Infinite _and _myself, both of us armed with the power of the Phantom Ruby, you rabble have _no chance_ of victory! This city will be your cemetery! And by the way, I heard of how Silver came from the future to prevent some great calamity, so I took a peek into the future to see what's coming. And I'll admit, I'm not sure Infinite alone could stand against these 'Mephiles' and 'Ignis' demons 2-on-1, but with me helping him they too shall fall, and we'll take their power for our own to make us even _stronger_! Nothing can stop us from ravaging _all worlds!-!_"

The demonic harlequin let loose with a diabolical evil laugh that echoed through the city… but then, a new sound made itself known: a loud, flanging *crack*, like fracturing glass pitched down, reverberating through the fabric of space itself.

"…Huh?" Joker turned to look.

(MUSIC: _Sonic Forces _– "Fist Bump")

In a spot in midair floating over the city, a glowing purple crack had appeared in the universe. With splintering sounds, the crack began to widen and propagate, focused around a single point, from which a rising rushing sound was building, blue and pink light shining through. Finally, the barrier between realms was blasted open from within as four figures tore their way free, enveloped in auras of blue, red, and two tones of pink.

"They broke free?!" Joker exclaimed in stunned horror.

"Impossible!" Infinite screamed.

The four heroes used their remaining momentum to crash through a large pack of Phantom-Clone Heartless and Eggbots, knocking Phantom-Oresky senseless in the process.

"'Sup, everyone!" Sonic said. "Did ya miss us?"

"They've captured the other team leaders" Shadow observed.

"Let's fix that" Cure Flora replied. "And thank you to Tsubomi-chan for teaching me this one! _PreCure: Pink Forte Wave_!"

Her attack crashed down onto a 'Phantom-Cube Prison' from above, cracking it open and freeing Cure Miracle. Miracle & Cure Magical then assumed their Sapphire Forms, taking flight to avoid Phantom-Kumojacky's charge and using a _Sapphire Smartish_ attack to crush a sizable group of Phantom-Eggbots. Cure Melody, meanwhile, formed up with Rhythm, Beat, & Muse, and the Suite quartet hit the downed Phantom-Oresky with a quadruple _Music Rondo _that finished him off.

Sonic and Shadow blitzed in and slammed Joker away with a double Homing Attack, helped Rouge and Amy get back on their feet while Tails finished getting Omega back in fighting shape. Infinite came in for an attack, but had to break off and encase himself in a spherical defensive barrier as Omega's machineguns opened fire on him. Phantom-Chaos tried to intervene, but hesitated instinctively when Cheese the Chao got in its way, letting a combined ice blast from Cures Beauty & Diamond freeze it solid, taking it out of commission for now.

Cures Miracle & Magical shifted to their Ruby Forms and blasted another Phantom-Cube Prison with a flame blast that weakened it enough for Cure Heart to break free. Heart formed up with the rest of her team, and a _Lovely Straight Flush_ shattered Cure Blossom's prison. Blossom & Marine nailed Phantom-Cobraja with a _Floral Power Fortissimo_, knocking him senseless and putting him out of the fight.

Shadow bulldozed through a swarm of Phantom-Heartless, with Silver following in his wake to psychically smash Phantom-Eggbots along the enemy group's fringes. As they approached a Phantom-Cube Prison, Silver telekinetically picked up several Phantom-Eggbots and launched them at it, damaging the shell. A precision _Beauty Blizzard Arrow_ streaked in and struck in one of the cracks, ice rapidly spreading. With the shell now made brittle and frozen, Cure Lovely was able to start tearing her way through, Shadow's Homing Attack helping her break it open and get out.

Phantom-Metal Sonic stood guard over the last prison-shell, and Cures Sunny, Peace, March, & Beauty converged and attacked. He somehow managed to fend them off on his own, just barely, but then Cures Melody & Flora got involved, the latter joining the fray and pushing Phantom-Metal back while the former began burning through the prison-shell with _Miracle Heart Arpeggio_. A _Sunny Fire Burning_ hastened the process, and then a _Happy Shower_ punched through from within as Cure Happy finally got free.

The five Smile PreCures used _Rainbow Healing _to wipe out a great number of Phantom-Heartless, also catching Phantom-Metal Sonic in the blast-wave, leaving the evil robot badly damaged, enough that E123 Omega was able to finish him off. Phantom-Cobraja got knocked senseless by Amy Rose's hammer to the head, and was then vanquished by a _Twin Miracle Power Shoot_. Phantom-Gametsu staggered as Espio's thrown kunai stabbed into the tendons in his legs, leaving him unable to escape a _Trinity Explosion _that reduced him to shimmering red Phantom particles that quickly winked out. Phantom-Kumojacky roared as he pushed against the _Music Rondo Super Quartet_ beam trying to eliminate him, only to be hit by a _Phoenix Blaze_ from behind, the two attacks crushing him between them.

"We're doing it!" Cure Happy cheered.

Suddenly, Shadow appeared and yanked her out of the way of a deadly spear of 'Phantom' energy. The Darkness-empowered jackal floated down, his unmasked face showing a snarl of hatred. Shadow launched himself in a Homing Attack that knocked Infinite away, only for the evil Mobian to 'grab' Shadow with a giant red hand and pull him with.

(BOSS MUSIC: _Sonic Forces _– "Battle with Infinite: Showdown")

The two of them landed in a nearby courtyard, squaring off, Infinite's body flickering with crimson energy.

"I have been waiting for this…" Infinite growled.

"I could tell you were bad even back when you were just a merc captain," Shadow said, "but I didn't expect you'd turn out to be such a _monster_. I wonder if it's part of Joker's influence and going mad with power, or if you _always_ had this much darkness lurking inside you…"

"It doesn't really make a difference in the end, does it?" Infinite asked.

"…No. I suppose it doesn't." Shadow carefully removed the golden braces from around his wrists. "Either way, I'm going to stop you."

"You're going to try. And you're going to_ die_."

They charged at each other, meeting in the middle with a clash that rattled windows. After trying to outmuscle each other for a few seconds, Shadow leapt back to avoid a slashing swing of 'Phantom Cubes', backflipping to dodge a follow-up. Infinite formed three Phantom Clones of himself, he & his clones firing crimson energy blasts at Shadow, and the black hedgehog leapt & twisted to dodge while making his way closer. He managed to smash one Phantom Clone with a homing-attack, but then got clipped by a bolt of the Phantom Ruby's power. Everything became tinted red as he found himself surrounded by floating mines, all of them beeping and flashing as they prepared to detonate.

A split-second before detonation, a shimmering green barrier formed around Shadow, protecting him. As the illusion dispelled, Silver flew in and fired a kinetic blast at Infinite, who flew to the side to dodge but was then homing-attacked from behind by Sonic. The three hedgehog Mobians formed up, and Sonic & Shadow rushed forward, spreading out to attack from the sides. Infinite's two remaining Phantom Clones tried to attack them, and were thus caught off-guard and destroyed by psycho-blasts from Silver. Sonic nailed Infinite with a super-speed punch to the face, and then Shadow struck with a kick to Infinite's side that nearly fractured a rib or two.

Snarling, Infinite took off flying down a nearby main road, with the three heroes running (Sonic & Shadow) / flying (Silver) in hot pursuit. He tossed out a few spinning blades of Phantom-matter, and while Silver and Shadow evaded, Sonic used expertly-timed Homing Attacks to 'chain' his way up them and then land a few on Infinite himself. Tumbling through the air from the last hit, Infinite retaliated with sweeping red laser beams that the three hedgehog heroes zigzagged around to avoid.

The four combatants moved faster, speeding along the street that circled around the city. Silver fired kinetic blasts at Infinite, forcing the jackal to shield himself or shoot the incoming blasts instead of attacking the heroes. Shadow took the opportunity to close in, a red corona of energy around him as he struck with a charging tackle. Infinite growled and bashed Shadow back with a giant red fist of 'Phantom Cubes', but Silver telekinetically caught his ally before he could fall too far behind, while Sonic caught up to Infinite and struck with several lightning-fast jabs.

Infinite formed several Phantom Clones, he & they flinging all sorts of attacks at the three heroes – energy blasts, charging tackles & kicks, blades & buzzsaws of 'Phantom' energy… Sonic, Shadow, & Silver jumped and slid and weaved around, speeding up to keep up with Infinite as he zipped down the road. Shadow used Homing Attacks to 'chain' from one Phantom Clone to the next, taking some of them out, but Infinite managed to knock him back with a kick… which meant it was only at the last second he noticed the car Silver had levitated up and thrown at him. Eyes widening, Infinite blasted the car away, only for Silver to warp forward and punch him with a fist wreathed in green psychokinetic energy.

Falling back a little to avoid Infinite's retaliation, Silver grabbed Sonic & Shadow with his telekinesis, and the two other hedgehog heroes curled into spiky balls and started spinning, building up force and momentum. He formed a powerful barrier at the same time to protect them & him from Infinite's attacks, his head pounding as he put his all into multitasking like this. Finally, once Sonic & Shadow had built up an amazing amount of momentum and power, Silver let them loose. The twin black and blue spiky 'cannonballs' crashed into Infinite with devastating forces, sending him hurtling end over end, even cracking the Phantom Ruby in his chest-piece.

(MUSIC END)

-_Break_-

(The following fight is simultaneous with Hedgehog Trio vs. Infinite)

Watching as Shadow & Infinite's fight took them out of the area, Cure Happy suddenly heard the whistle of incoming projectiles. She backflipped to dodge a handful of exploding cards, firing a pink magic blast in the direction they'd come from, but Joker swatted the blast aside as he leapt in. Happy's four teammates soon arrived, the Smile Cures taking stances ready to fight.

"Well, isn't this nostalgic?" Joker said with a grin. "The five brats who were my first real adversaries, who _killed_ my first master… But, technically you girls never did manage to kill _me_…"

"We're fixing that today" Cure Sunny growled. "And this time, you won't come back."

Joker chuckled. "Such bravado…"

(BOSS MUSIC: _Hyrule Warriors _OST – "Psychostorm")

He snapped his fingers, and a shimmering red & purple barrier formed around the area, trapping the Smile Cures in with him. A wicked aura of evil energy sprang up around him, the Phantom Ruby in his pocket glowing as he formed a set of dark-magic 'cards' in one hand and a long, thin sword in the other.

"Let's see how long that bluster lasts before you're all screaming in agony & terror!"

He threw his deadly razor-sharp cards at Cures March & Beauty while charging and thrusting his sword at Cure Peace. The petite Cure squeaked in fear and bent over backwards to avoid a stab aimed at her neck, conjuring electrical magic across her body to deter him from attempting a follow-up strike. Cure Sunny came in with a flaming punch that knocked him back, but he dodged Cure Happy's pink magic beam and Cure Beauty's ice kunai.

Joker caught Cure March by the leg when she tried to kick his face in, tossing her at Cure Sunny to interrupt her next attack. He got ready to fling a few exploding cards at them, imbued with power from the Phantom Ruby to ensnare anyone caught in the blast radii in a deadly genjutsu, but had to instead throw them at incoming _Peace Thunder_ and _Beauty Blizzard Arrow_ blasts. Another _Peace Thunder_ was fired his way, and he held his sword out to catch the lightning, using his magic to hold the charge in & around the blade and then flinging the electrified sword at Cure Beauty, who felt her scalp tingle as a near-miss nicked her hair.

Pulling out the Phantom Ruby and eyeing Cure Beauty with malicious intent, but his moment of sadism led to him being blindsided by a _Happy Shower_, the bright-pink wave of magical energy blasting him across the walled-in battleground. Getting to his feet, he called upon the Phantom Ruby's power, conjuring four Phantom Clones that each engaged a Cure in battle, while the original summoned another sword and rushed at Cure Beauty, who formed a blade of ice to duel him with.

Metal and ice clashed over and over, Cure Beauty using her magic to 'repair' her ice blade every time it got chipped or dented by Joker's sword. Nearby, Cure March rolled with a blow to her side to minimize the damage and sidestepped the piercing stab of a blade wreathed in 'Phantom' energy, dodged under a swing and struck with a magic-charged kick that sent the Phantom Clone stumbling back a little. Her body then glowed faintly with a green aura; in the months since the DDF recruited them, when it was discovered that the Smile Cures had each forced open an Inner Gate (two, in Nao's case) in the climactic battles against Pierrot's lieutenants, Might Guy and Kakashi Hatake had worked to help the girls figure out how to open the Gates willingly. For now, the quintet had chosen to stop at being able to open two Gates, though.

With the Gate of Opening released, Cure March blitzed forward and kicked Joker's Phantom Clone in the head before 'he' could react, striking hard enough to snap its neck and destroy it. The other four Cures followed March's lead, opening their First Gates and using their enhanced strength & speed to rush their opponents. Joker's three other Phantom Clones were soon destroyed, while the original Joker was put on the defensive as Cure Beauty's strikes came faster and hit harder.

Joker gave a little ground, his off-hand tossing exploding cards at the other Cures as they tried to attack him all at once. However, Cure Sunny managed to dodge and kept coming, lashing out with a flaming punch that nearly cracked Joker's ever-present mask (or was that actually a part of his face?). Growling, the evil harlequin shoved Cure Beauty back with a kinetic shockwave and then hit Cure Sunny with a blow to the gut that had her doubling over as it felt like he almost ruptured something. He readied his blade, intent on chopping off her head…

Cure Happy, inspired by the famous Rasengan but not having been taught it yet, had taken a charged-up Happy Shower and, instead of firing it, held it in her hands as a compressed, brightly-glowing pink orb of power. With a yell, she slammed it into Joker's back, and the stored energy was released in a blast-wave of power that sent Joker flying; he'd barely reacted in time to channel defensive magic through his body in order to avoid serious damage.

Getting to his feet and brushing himself off, Joker was about to try to entrap the girls in a Phantom Ruby genjutsu when a black, white, & red figure came flying in at an angle, hitting the ground and tumbling to a stop.

(MUSIC END)

Infinite groaned in pain, his red aura weak and unstable as he tried to get to his feet. Sonic, Shadow, & Silver leapt in, taking position around him and keeping their distance. Silver then took notice of the other fight nearby and turned to join, ready to help the Smile Cures. The other Cures and Sonic's other friends were closing in on the area as well, having defeated or bypassed the remaining Phantom Clone enemies.

Looking around at his overall situation, Joker sighed… and then started laughing.

"Well, you've certainly pushed us into a corner, haven't you?!" he shouted to the heroes. "Congratulations on getting this far! Now, I only have one card left to play… but it's the only one I need! For you see, I always keep a _joker_ up my sleeve~…"

Holding the 'prime' Phantom Ruby, he then shoved it into his chest, somehow absorbing it and melding it with his body. After a few seconds, a blazing crimson aura roared to life around him, and the heroes were stunned as they felt his evil power growing and changing. Joker held his hands high, and every remaining Phantom Clone in the city disintegrating motes of red energy flowing back and into him. Then, he held his hand out toward Infinite, who gasped in shocked pain as he was levitated up, his body glitching.

"W… What are you…" he grunted out.

"You've been a great help, Infinite," Joker said, "and I truly did consider you a kindred spirit of sorts. But you've done all that you can, and now I have an even _better_ use for you…"

The Mobian jackal's cry of pain and rage was cut off as he was utterly _unmade_, his body and his Phantom Ruby 'copy' coming apart into motes of red light that flowed into Joker. The demonic jester's aura was a red & purple inferno of evil power, shaking the earth and darkening the sky. His costume began to change, white becoming black, purple parts gaining a reddish tint. Many of the heroes & heroines quaked in fear as they saw and felt the huge power growing, dark clouds swirling overhead with red lighting crackling between them. Joker's low, wicked laugh had a flanging echo to it, his eyes shining red.

(BOSS MUSIC: _Sonic Colors _– "Final Boss (Phase 1)")

Finally finished gathering and charging energy and integrating the Phantom Ruby into himself, Joker _exploded_ with power, a raging inferno of red, black, & purple energy engulfing him. The black clouds overhead glowed red with crimson lightning, and Joker floated up off the ground as his Phantom Ruby energy formed a pair of wings from his back. Red 'streamers' of energy came from his glowing red eyes, and his razor-sharp teeth – displayed in a bloodthirsty grin – had a red light coming from behind them.

"Now then…" he spoke softly with a quiet yet way-too-deep reverb. "Who wants to die first?"

Silver fired a kinetic blast at Joker, his attack joined a second later by a _Blue Forte Wave_, a _Sunny Fire_, a _Princess Bomber_ barrage, and E123-Omega's heavy machinegun fire. Joker formed a ring of Phantom-matter around himself as a barrier, and then made it shatter outward as a wave of deadly shrapnel shooting in all directions. Big the Cat used his reinforced umbrella to shield himself and Cream (& Cheese), and most everyone else managed to leap high enough to dodge; Cures Blossom, Peace, and Felice took a few hits, but their transformations' defensive magic protected them from serious harm (for now).

Unfortunately, as many of the heroes were briefly airborne from leaping over Joker's initial counterattack, he shot up, grabbed Cure Heart by the ankle, and came back down slamming her into the ground with such force that the ground shook as she left an imprint in the now-shattered concrete. As Cure Heart was left barely conscious and struggling to hold onto her transformation, Joker fired a dark-red energy blast at the charging Cure Sunshine that blew her away, then spun and caught Cure Shade by the throat as she emerged from a shadow-portal behind him. He formed his hand into a spear shape and went to stab/punch into her chest, but a Homing Attack from Shadow knocked his arm to the side, while Espio leapt in and pulled Cure Shade back with ninja speed.

Several Cures started preparing to fire combination attacks, but Joker was faster, teleporting around and striking at the various groups to stun them and disrupt their formations. Sonic came in from above, hitting Joker in the head with a Homing Attack, but the villain barely even flinched. There was a soft crack as Joker turned his head & neck in ways that shouldn't be biologically possible in order to stare at Sonic with a grin like a shark, then struck with a blow even faster than Sonic could go, a kick sending the blue hedgehog hurtling through the air like a spiky soccer ball.

Silver levitated several large chunks of debris, body and eyes glowing with psychic power. But before he could launch them at his target, Joker noticed and extended his hand toward him. Silver gasped and strained as the green glow enveloping his telekinetic 'weapons' was gradually tinted red, and then Joker made them all crash down on him; Silver barely managed to form a shimmering green barrier around himself to avoid being crushed to death. Joker then turned to see a _Music Rondo: Super Quartet_ beam coming at him, and he brought his hands forward and fired his own beam of red & black energy to meet it. The two attacks pushed against each other for a few seconds, before Joker's beam overcame Melody & Rhythm's, overwhelming & scattering it and engulfing the two Cures in a blast that would've torn them to shreds if they hadn't been transformed.

Joker floated up higher, dodging a swing of Amy's hammer in the process, forming a red barrier-shell to protect himself from a wave of anti-personnel missiles fired by E123 Omega. A few of the Cure teams were preparing to draw upon their higher-level transformations (Super Silhouette, Princess Form, Innocent Form, Mode Elegant, Alexandrite…), but then Joker channeled crimson lightning from the storm above and unleashed it on them. Screams of shock and pain rang out, making his fanged grin grow.

Shadow, given a boost up by Rouge, slammed into Joker's back in a Homing Attack, ruining his focus on trying to electrocute the Cures but not doing any real damage. Joker turned and prepared to thrust a conjured spear at the black hedgehog, but magic blasts from Cure Nightshade and Cure Tender pushed him back and let Shadow get distance. The demonic harlequin frowned for a moment, then grinned as he formed huge floating mallets out of Phantom Ruby 'cubes' and used them to smash the two Cures _and_ Shadow & Rouge.

A pulse of red energy released from Joker and washed over the whole area, and the whole group of heroes began floating up into the air as gravity was twisted around for them, leaving them flailing and shouting as they were sent skyward without their control. Held high above the ground, close to the low, roiling clouds filled with red lightning above, the numerous heroes were virtually helpless as Joker flitted about with unnatural speed, bombarding them with crushing strikes and searing energy blasts.

With everyone battered and beaten, floating helplessly, Joker decided to start thinning the herd. The blast he started charging up should surely kill several of the weaker 'heroes' and leave the rest even more injured and easier pickings. Laughing, he fired the roiling red & purple sphere of energy, anticipating the screams…

(MUSIC END)

There was a flash of light that lit up the stormy sky, and the energy blast struck against a massive spherical shield that formed around the entire hero group. It seemed to be rotating, opaque and in a rainbow of shifting colors. The barrier briefly 'rippled' from the blast, but soon recovered. Upon closer inspection, the barrier was actually composed of countless individual components…

Inside, the various PreCures and Mobian heroes were all gently carried to a single point toward the middle. Stirring, Sonic & Tails' eyes widened in shock as they recognized the little floating entities supporting them & their allies, who'd saved them all:

Wisps. The entire 'barrier' was composed of thousands of Wisps, all of them shining with Hyper-Go-On energy that, combined, was enough to fend off Joker's initial deadly blast and – from the sounds of it – the successive curious & frustrated attacks he was throwing at the giant living barrier. One Wisp in particular floated over to Sonic & Tails, warbling a greeting.

"Yacker?" Tails asked. "You… Your people saved us…"

"Still…" Cure Flora spoke up. "Even with these cute little guys helping us… I don't know if we're strong enough to beat Joker as he is now…"

Curiously, Yakker was still keeping two tentacles behind his back. Six more Wisps, one of each 'color', floated over to join him. Then, the seven Wisps revealed what they had been holding, the familiar gems thrumming with power.

"The… The Chaos Emeralds…" Silver breathed out, an excited smile slowly forming on his face. "You found them!"

For the first time in what felt like hours, Sonic gave his usual confident grin. Shadow, Silver, team leads… come on over here."

'What _are_ these creatures?' Joker wondered, having ceased his attacks and now simply flying around the giant shell of Wisps at a safe distance. '…Could these be the aliens that Sonic and his sidekick rescued from that egotistical scientist's plot?'

(BOSS MUSIC: _Sonic Colors _– "Final Boss (Phase 2 – Reach for the Stars)")

Suddenly, a brilliant golden light shone from gaps within the shell of Wisps. The Wisps began to disperse, many of them carrying most of the heroes safely down to earth. 10 figures floated in the dark sky, wreathed in golden auras and brimming with power. Sonic, Shadow, & Silver's fur had turned golden, their irises red; Cures Blossom, Melody, Happy, Heart, Lovely, Flora, & Miracle floated right behind them, the white and pink of their outfits tinted gold, their hair golden and spiky like Super Saiyans, irises red from the Chaos Emeralds' power. Lastly, each of the heroes had a Wisp riding on their backs, ready to lend their power.

'Those little space-jellies found and brought the Chaos Emeralds?!' Joker seethed, trying to fight down a flash of panic.

"You've been causing pain and suffering for so long" Shadow said. "Now it's time for you to see how it feels."

"It's time to make sure you never hurt anyone else again!" Cure Melody decreed.

"Alright, boys & girls," Sonic said, "let's _go!-!_"

The 10 heroes burst into motion, flying at great speed, their golden auras enveloping and trailing behind them like comets. Super Cure Happy charged straight at Joker, closing in before he could fire off an attack and striking with a barrage of blows that soon wore through his guard, beating him back. Super Cure Heart came in from above, a Red Wisp moving with her and lending her its power, letting her blast Joker with a heart-shaped explosion of shiny golden flames. Joker snarled and fired several big shimmering red energy blasts shaped like himself at her, but Super Cure Blossom intercepted with a giant golden flower-shaped shield spell, rippling from the blasts' impacts but holding strong.

Super Sonic charged in, and Joker erected a glowing red spherical barrier around himself that deflected the first few charging tackles. But then, Sonic was given the power of a Yellow Wisp, his golden aura brightening as he charged again, this time while spinning rapidly with a yellowish drill-shaped extension around his aura. This time, Joker's barrier couldn't hold against the hyper-charged high-speed hedgehog boring into and through it, shattering the red energy field. Joker threw himself to the side, grunting in pain as a glancing blow gouged into his left side when Sonic shot past.

Super Cure Melody came flying in brandishing a giant… musical note? Yes, she had coalesced her Chaos Emerald-supercharged Pretty Cure power into a shiny golden eighth-note bigger than she was. She swung the huge weapon with unexpected grace and speed, her new club sending Joker careening across the sky. He soon regained control, using his momentum to charge at Super Silver with a set of huge glowing red claws extending from his arms. He dodged the gold-tinted kinetic blasts Silver fired at him, but right when he closed into range and swung his weapons, Silver fired another blast that he had no time to dodge, blasting him back as Silver's surging aura protected him from the Phantom-claws' glancing blow. Then, Super Cure Lovely came in with a giant Lovely Punch fist of gold-tinted pink energy, the knuckles adorned with big bright-pink spikes courtesy of a Pink Wisp. The resulting punch blew Joker away again, tearing part of his jester suit.

Joker snarled as he formed multiple large red cubes floating around him, and each of them started firing laser bolts at the heroes, filling the air with deadly light. Super Cure Miracle worked with a Blue Wisp to form countless gold-tinted blue cubes that absorbed Joker's energy bolts and then fired them back, destroying most of his red cubes. The Wisp-made cubes than repositioned to box Joker in, giving him nowhere to go as Miracle barreled into him with a Super-charged Ruby-type flaming punch. Catching himself, Joker snarled and began to charge up another deadly blast, onto to be blindsided by Super Shadow rocketing in while wreathed in the orange glow of an Orange Rocket Wisp, careening into him in a supersonic tackle.

Preparing to counterattack, Joker suddenly lost control of his flight, floating uncontrollably upward while enveloped in a faint green glow. With her target ensnared by the Hover power of the Green Wisp helping her, Super Cure Flora flew/floated closer and started pummeling Joker with all she had, beating the evil clown senseless. She then flew away to get clear, allowing Super Cure Blossom, imbued with the power of a Cyan Wisp, to blast Joker with a great big pink & cyan magical laser that lit up the stormy sky.

Panting, his outfit tattered and smoldering, Joker roared with fury, his Phantom aura surging around him like an evil inferno. He began charging up an enormous amount of energy, a mass of roiling red & purple Darkness power gathering in front of him, growing and growing. In response, the 10 golden warriors and their Wisp allies gathered together – the Wisps gathered in a large circle faced toward Joker, then the 7 golden Cures in a smaller circle in front, and finally the three Super-form hedgehogs. They all held their hands forward, sparks of light building…

"I've built up enough power to crack this planet like an egg!" Joker shouted, an unstable fanged grin on his face. "_Now SAY GOODBYE!-!_"

The mass of evil energy he'd charged up pulsed and then fired as a huge beam of deadly red & purple energy, tearing the air apart as it surged toward the heroes. But the heroes' bodies then glowed with multicolored lights, power building as PreCure magic, Chaos Emerald superpower, and Hyper Go-On energy were combined…

[Sonic Colors announcer guy:]

"Laser!"

"HeartCatch!"

"Cube!"

"Suite!"

"Drill!"

"Smile!"

"Hover!"

"Heartbeat!"

"Spikes!"

"Happiness!"

"Rocket!"

"Princess!"

"Burst!"

"Magic!"

"**SUPER!**"

"**_FINAL!_**"

"**_COLOR!-!_**"

"**_BLAAASTERRRR!-!-!_**"

Right before Joker's energy wave was about to hit the heroes, they released a brilliant beam of energy, a vibrant rainbow of colors lighting up the stormy sky. The Super Final Color Blaster pushed against Joker's deadly attack, halting it for a few seconds and then quickly overpowering it, scattering it and closing in on the villain, whose evil smile changed into a look of stunned horror.

"Nono_nonoNOOOO!-!_"

The wave of Light energy slammed into Joker like a freight train from Heaven, engulfing him and starting to tear him apart. He desperately tried to fight it off, to withstand it, to fight back, to use the Phantom Ruby's power to save himself… And then, the Phantom Ruby inside him _shattered_. Joker cried out with one last scream of pain, fear, and fury as he was finally annihilated. A huge, beautiful rainbow explosion filled the sky, blasting away the dark clouds that had been conjured earlier.

(MUSIC END)

The victorious heroes descended back down to earth, where their celebrating comrades were waiting. Once their feet were on the ground, they let the Chaos Emeralds' power leave them, returning to their normal states as the seven gems appeared amongst them; Tails quickly gathered them for safekeeping.

"That was a _rush_!" Cure Heart said.

"He's gone…" Cure Happy murmured, as if disbelieving. "He's finally _gone_…"

"I'd say we should celebrate," Cream said, "but I think we're all a little too tired for that."

"Plus," Cure Moonlight added, "I have a feeling that things are about to come to a head with the Seekers of Darkness. We should rest up as much as we can, so we'll be ready."

"…I wonder how the quest to get Roxas a body is going…" Cure Peace wondered.

**-****_Break_****-**

**Radiant Garden**

**Ansem's Lab**

Ienzo sighed as he looked at the main screen of Ansem's computer.

"We've come a long way toward reconstructing Roxas' Heart. But a vessel… Without that… Hmph, yeah right. Bodies don't just grow on trees, Ienzo. It's the backup plan or nothing now. But… the backup plan isn't a true solution."

Suddenly, a Corridor of Darkness opened behind him.

"Finally" A voice came from within. "About time."

Spinning around with a gasp, Ienzo saw as Demyx strolled out with a big bundle wrapped in a light-blue sheet slung over his shoulder.

"Ooh, nice place" he said, looking around.

"Demyx? Is that you?!"

The blond grinned. "Hey, Zexion! Long time!" He very carefully laid the large bundle on the floor. "How's humanity treatin' ya? I rejoined the Nobodies, but, like… I just can't shake the feeling I've been sweet-talked, y'know? We have _so~ _got to have a chat."

"W-Whoa, back up. What?"

"Oh! Sorry, sorry. I'm gettin' ahead of myself. I'm actually here on a top-secret mission. Apparently, I'm so off everyone's radar, that I'm just the guy to handle a special delivery." He turned to his portal. "_Ta-daaa!_"

And out of the portal, wearing a black coat with the hood down, strode…

"M… Master Ansem!" Ienzo almost forgot to breathe.

"Well met, little Ienzo" Ansem the Wise said with a smile. "Not so little anymore, though…"

Aeleus and Dilan ran in, hearing the disturbance, and froze in shock as they saw who had seemingly come back from the dead. Ienzo started to reach out, but then clenched his fists by his side, trembling with his head hung low.

"They told me you'd gone mad…" he choked out. "That you abandoned us. I was just a boy, but I should have known better. I am… truly, _deeply sorry…_" He bowed his head.

Ansem came closer, hands on Ienzo's shoulders. "I think what matters is that you recognize the mistake. Peace, Ienzo. It was I who was consumed by hatred – who failed you in my obligations as your mentor. Please, forgive me…"

"So, uh…" Demyx spoke up. "Are we cool to get on with things here?" He pointed to the blanket-wrapped object on the floor. "Got ya a present from Vexen. One was all he could manage for the time being, but hey, he figured you guys would know what to do with it."

"An empty Replica…" Ienzo breathed out. "A vessel!"

**-****_Break_****-**

**Twilight Town**

"I've had it with this stupid treasure hunt" Pete griped. "Every box we've found has been nothin' but a bust."

"…I agree" Maleficent replied. "Our search ends today."

"Wait, what? After all the effort we gone through, you'd actually admittin'…"

"We cannot find the unfindable. The box does not exist."

"Hmph. I _knew_ they was takin' us for a ride…"

"Silence. I mean the box does not exist _now_."

"…Is that some kinda riddle? Just where we s'posed to be lookin'?"

"Light and darkness are fated to clash. A Keyblade War is upon us. We need only wait for that destined moment. No matter the victors, the box will be revealed."

"That's it?!" But when's _my_ big moment?"

"You will have it soon enough. Once we possess the box, our _real_ work can begin. Now, come along. While we wait, Salem has suggested that we try our hand at a little… recruitment drive…"

**-****_Break_****-**

**Twilight Town – Clock Tower**

Lea/Axel sat alone atop the tower, eating a sea-salt ice cream bar while his other hand held two more.

"Well, Roxas…" he murmured. "I shoulda been there for you by now, but here we are."

"Shouldn't you say goodbye to your _real_ home?"

Lea turned as Saïx emerged from the shadows, stunned to see the man as he came over and sat beside him.

"Why…"

"I'm not here to fight, Lea. Relax."

He reached over and grabbed one of Lea's spare ice-cream bars, despite the redhead's attempt to stop him.

"You can't eat all this" Saïx reprimanded. "Why did you buy _three_ of them? One for Roxas… and two for good luck?"

"I dunno. Because I felt like it, okay? Tch. Why are _you_ here?"

Saïx took a bite of 'his' ice cream. "Got it _memorized_? Back when we were still friends, we used to sneak into the castle."

"Yeah…"

"And we made a friend there – a girl. We apprenticed to Ansem the Wise to rescue her."

"Yeah, and we _failed_. One day she was just gone!"

"You gave up."

Lea growled, feeling something in his chest. "I did _not_ give up. One day we're apprentices, the next Ansem the Wise has up and vanished, the day after we're Nobodies, day after day doing icky jobs for Xemnas. I couldn't keep up with you."

"Following Xehanort's Nobody was the only way to discover what happened to her. She was his lab rat."

"So? You found her? I helped you rise up the ranks, so I hope it paid off."

Saïx hung his head. "I'm afraid not. Nary a trace. I started to wonder if we'd imagined her. Maybe she never existed. And then, in time, I awakened to a new purpose. I realized I could be _stronger_."

"Hmph. Well then, you blew it! Wise up already and just quit."

"Face it. Roxas is just like our other friend. Gone forever. You need to accept that."

"You wish. I'm getting her back. All of 'em! Especially Roxas! I'm even dragging _you_ home!"

Finishing his ice cream, Saïx looked at the empty stick. "The marks under your eyes. They're gone."

Caught off-guard by the sudden change in topic, Lea snarled. "Yeah. Don't need 'em."

"Always told you they'd stop you from crying. The upside-down tears…"

"Would you get lost?! I'll clobber you tomorrow!"

"I expect no less…" Saïx smirked, vanishing through a Dark Corridor.

**-****_Break_****-**

**Destiny Islands**

Riku sat on the sands, watching the sunset.

"How long have you known that I was with you?" a voice next to him asked.

"You _did_ save me from that huge Dark Hide thing" Riku replied with a grin, looking over at another 'him', a year or two younger and clad in a familiar black & purple bodysuit. "I think you came along for a reason."

"…I didn't make much of myself as a Replica" the other Riku said. "I was a failure, and after you & Sora moved on, my body fell to ruin, and the Darkness took my broken mind. I was all ready to give up and let it happen, and then _you_ showed up."

"Heh. You took that as a sign?"

"Hm. Maybe. I'd rather face my end with you than in lonely darkness."

"That's… what you want?"

"Yeah. But I'm not done yet. Got one last thing to see through."

"…Take the time you need."

"Don't _you_ go dying, either. You've got a special someone waiting for you."

Riku got flustered. "S-Salia and I aren't like that."

His Replica grinned. "I didn't mention Salia~."

"You're as bad as Sora…"

A bit further up the beach, Sora & Kairi sat together on the oddly-shaped tree.

"Hey, why's Riku all alone?" Sora asked.

"He said he needed time to himself" Kairi replied. "Let's let him be."

Gazing worried at his friend, Sora was startled as Kairi held out a large yellow star-shaped fruit. Recognizing the paopu fruit, he looked at Kairi, whose beautiful smile made his heart skip a beat.

"Tomorrow's fight will be our toughest yet" she said. "I wanna be a part of your life, no matter what. That's all."

After a moment, Sora smiled and accepted the fruit. "Kairi. I'll keep you safe."

"And _I'll_ keep _you_ safe, you reckless lug. No matter what happens…"

"…We'll see it all through together."

**-****_CHAPTER END_****-**

Next Time: The beginning of the end. I'm not sure yet whether the Keyblade Graveyard will be split into two chapters or not. We'll have to wait and see how huge it ends up being… Also, might come back and expand the boss fights in this chapter a little at some point in the future, maybe.


	18. The Graveyard

**SEE CHAPTER ONE FOR (MOST) DISCLAIMERS**

PLEASE READ & REVIEW, AND TEND TO THE TROPE PAGE (CHARACTER PAGE IS NOW GONE)

**-****_CHAPTER START_****-**

As a small fleet of DDF ships engaged swarms of Heartless and Nobody fighters in orbit, the Gummi Ship made a break for the surface, depositing a sizable group of heroes. Sora, Donald, Goofy, Mickey, Kairi, Lea, Aqua, & Ventus stood upon the dusty ground, surrounded by orange-brown rock formations.

"It's time" King Mickey said. "The Keyblade Graveyard is up ahead."

"Someone's coming" Sora alerted them.

Through the dust and dirt, a figure emerged, strolling across the dead soil, hands behind his back, posture stooped with age. Looking at the group of heroes, Master Xehanort smirked.

"Legend has it that darkness once covered the world" he said. "We know so little about the Keyblade War – only that it was just the beginning. If ruin brings about creation… what, then, would another Keyblade War bring? When the darkness falls, will we be found worthy of the precious light the legend speaks of?"

Xehanort's younger Heartless appeared at his side. "Or will all of Creation be instead returned to the shadows? Today, we will recreate the legend and see."

Xemnas appeared on Xehanort's other side. "But first…" he said. "Your lights shine far too brightly. It must be extinguished in order for the truth to be seen."

In a flash, two more figures appeared.

"Only when your hopes have been broken by battle upon battle" Vanitas said "can the key be claimed to Kingdom Hearts."

"And break you is what we shall do" Young Xehanort added. "It has been etched."

(BATTLE MUSIC: _Kingdom Hearts 2.5 _– "Sinister Shadows")

Roiling darkness spread out from them, quickly darkening the sky. From the darkness above, countless hordes of Heartless, Nobodies, and Unversed began to descend, filling the area and surrounding the heroes. The six Wielders amongst the group summoned their Keyblades, and split into teams as they charged to meet the oncoming army. Donald made the first kills, a Blizzaga spread-shot taking out a few Flutterings, Sora started tearing through a mixed squad of Soldiers and Scrappers, and Goofy charged through a pack of Shadows, tossing them every which way.

A 'Dark Thorn' Heartless charged at Lea from behind while he was busy cutting down a trio of Armored Knights apart, only to be brought to a halt as Link, the Hero of Twilight appeared from out of nowhere, driving his sword down through the beast's head. Link, the Hero of Time, in his Adult Mode transformation, made himself known nearby by slicing a Neoshadow's arm off to keep it from slashing Kairi. The two Links formed up and started carving through Heartless while Fi telepathically coordinated them.

Aqua soaked several Unversed with a Water spell, and then Ventus hit them with a Thundara spell that deep-fried the lot of them. She then turned to face and take on a squad of Reapers, only for a bright magenta magic-circle to light up as seven ponies and a dragon-whelp teleported in. Twilight and Spike took out several Shadows with red & green fire blasts, Rarity turned the ground beneath several Creepers' feet against them, Trixie started zapping flying enemies with lightning magic, Rainbow Dash & Applejack just pummeled anything within range, and Fluttershy soon had a pack of smaller Unversed cowering in terror as she Stared at them.

King Mickey was practically a blur as he slashed and blasted Heartless and Unversed. Nearby, Riku was putting the power of darkness to good use against Nobodies, currently taking on three Dragoons at once and winning. Suddenly, they heard a screeching roar, turning to see a great big spider-centaur abomination rushing at them, the Unversed symbol on its chitin-armored chest, its body a mix of blacks and purples and reds, eight glowing red eyes over a split-open mouth full of venom-dripping fangs. Then, there was another teleport-spell flash behind Riku & Mickey, the girls of Gamma Team arriving and splitting off to find targets.

"Hey guys," Teana said, "sorry we're la_oh hell_, it's an Unversed version of that Widow thing my brother fought?"

"So _that's _what Vanitas has been working on…" Riku remarked. "…And now it's looking right at me."

Indeed, the monstrous Unversed was staring at Riku and Teana, letting out an evil hiss and beginning to stampede towards them. Sharing a look, the two experienced warriors of the light rushed to meet it, already flinging attacks at the raging beast.

As the battle wore on, more and more heroes arrived to assist in clearing out the enemy. All four members of Team RWBY took to the field, Yang having been encouraged to "get her groove back a little" against the lower-level enemies (and gradually working her way up to bigger threats without even fully realizing it yet). A Rock Troll was obliterated by Naruto's _Fūton: Rasenshuriken_, while Ange & Hilda carved through Nobodies with their psi-blades and blasted Unversed with psionic attacks. Illya, Miyu, & Kuro triple-teamed a squad of Invisibles, while Samus' ship flew in, blew away a few tightly-clustered packs of Heartless with missile strikes, then she leapt out and leant her arm cannon to the cause. The Crystal Gems arrived in force, taking on a few Behemoths. There was a screech that was cut off as Teana killed the Widow Unversed with a _Katon: Rasenshuriken_.

Finally, the last enemies fell. The now-larger group of heroes pressed onward, passing through a (relatively) narrow pass between rock formations (judging by its shape and the marks on the walls, artificially carved out by magic during the Great War by Keyblade-wielders who didn't want to or couldn't go around or over the rocks). Soon, they came out into another clearing, dust-coated Keyblades strewn about here & there – grave-markers for their long-deceased wielders.

"Is everybody still good to go?" King Mickey asked.

Everyone present gave affirmatives, and Sora prepared to move out. But then, they saw a figure up ahead – a tall young man with slightly spiky brown hair, head down, standing there, not moving or talking or doing anything. Seeing him, Ventus' eyes lit up.

"Terra!"

Despite Aqua's attempt to suggest caution, Ven ran over to Terra, grabbing his limp hand.

"We found you!"

Terra looked up slightly, his blue eyes dull and lifeless, as Aqua came over.

"Terra…" she said. "Please say you're in there."

He looked at her, his eyes sharpening… as his irises turned gold. Aqua immediately pulled Ventus back, summoning her Keyblade as the others ran over.

"What gives, Aqua?" Ven asked.

She glared at 'Terra'. "I know that you're not him" she said. "Now, let our friend go!"

'Terra' chuckled softly, his skin tone darkening slightly as his hair turned silver. All the heroes got ready to fight as they sensed evil power.

"I knew it…" Mickey said. "He _is_ their thirteenth!"

"Today is the day you all lose" Terra-Xehanort said, a black & purple aura wavering around him. "Before you even face the 13, every last one of you will be torn Heart from body. But fear not." With a dark flash, he summoned Xehanort's Keyblade. "The χ-Blade will still be forged."

"…We're not gonna lose to _you_" Sora declared.

Terra-Xehanort blurred forward to attack, and Teana & Naruto, the two fastest present, moved to meet him… but somebody else beat them to it. A plume of dust kicked up right in front of Aqua & Ventus, fading to reveal Terra-Xehanort's blade being blocked by another. A tall suit of gold, brown, & red armor wearing a Keyblade with the same color scheme stood in defense of the two, pushing back against the enemy.

"Who _are_ you?" Terra-Xehanort growled.

"I've got you, Xehanort…" the armor spoke, pushing against Terra-Xehanort and finally flinging him back.

"…Guys" Naruto spoke up. "Kurama says… Xehanort has Terra's body, but that suit of armor has Terra's _mind_ in it."

Terra-Xehanort snarled. "This is impossible!"

"How I've waited for this moment…" the Lingering Will strode forward. With a wave of his arm, his Keyblade transformed into a whip that lashed forward, extending rapidly and wrapping around Terra-Xehanort's Keyblade. He pulled, flinging Terra-Xehanort through the air, and then shifted his Keyblade into some kind of shoulder-mounted magic cannon, firing a beam that blasted him away. The Lingering Will leapt after them, the two fighters clashing blades as their duel took them further away from the group.

"Should we… help him out, maybe?" Marie suggested.

"I think we've got a more immediate problem!" Goofy shouted, prompting everyone to turn and see another huge swarm of Heartless approaching.

At this point, another large group of heroes were teleported in. The rest of Sigma Team, Theta Team, Sasuke & Sakura, Nanoha & Fate, Ala Alba, the "Z-Team", the Normandy Crew, Spartan-II Blue Team, Sonic & friends, the "Card-Captor Crew", the Sailor Senshi (including Sailor Nothing's squad), the seven PreCure teams, Madoka's team, Alicia, Kanba Kanade, Zeratul, Galen Marek…

"Okay, I think we're all set!" Goku said. "I'm pretty sure these guys can't stand against _this_ much firepower!"

(BOSS MUSIC: _Kingdom Hearts 0.2 OST _– "Wave of Darkness (Phase 1)")

A large shadowy portal suddenly opened on the ground, and out from it shot an enormous mass of Shadows, hundreds of the little Heartless moving in unison in a serpentine shape, the 'head' clustered around a purple orb of Darkness that had multiple Shadows half-fused into it. As the Demon Tide circled through the air at high speed, a second Demon Tide emerged from another shadow-port, and then a third.

"_Why_ do you say these things, Goku?" Krillin sighed.

More Heartless, Nobodies, & Unversed emerged to join the fray, and everyone split off to handle the countless threats. Sora, Donald, & Goofy moved to take on one of the Demon Tides, joined by Alicia. The countless glowing yellow eyes of the gestalt entity's components turned red as it flew low over the ground toward the four heroes like a speeding train, and the quartet barely managed to throw themselves out of the way in time, Alicia firing a few Fira spells in the enemy's wake. The Demon Tide came back around a couple times, then slowed down for a moment; Sora and Goofy immediately started bashing and slashing it when it flew by low, while Donald and Alicia blasted it with Thunder spells.

The Demon Tide's hundreds of eyes glowed red again, and as it snaked through the air it started flinging Shadows as living projectiles, the little demons going on the attack before they even hit the ground. Alicia and Donald formed Reflect barriers that some of the Shadows were killed on impact with, and Sora did his best to dodge the living missiles and kill a few of them before the rest moved to rejoin the collective. The Demon Tide lashed out with a 'tendril' of Shadows, but Alicia blasted them with a quick Trident Smasher, killing a couple dozen of the things.

The din of battle as all the other heroes engaged hordes of Heartless, Unversed, and the other two Demon Tides was partially drowned out by the rushing, chittering sounds of the one fighting Sora's little group. The gestalt Heartless flew high and then dove down at Sora, who threw himself out of the way just as the Demon Tide crashed into the ground – or rather, through a shadow-portal. A second later, even as the back half of its 'body' was still moving down into the portal, the 'head' emerged from another portal in the ground, knocking Sora into the air. Donald cast a Reflega barrier a round Sora as the Demon Tide lunged at him, knocking him away to safety so that Alicia could catch him.

Alicia then flew at the Demon Tide as it surged around above their heads, finding the 'head' and whaling on it with Keyblade strikes and electric attacks. When it finally batted her away, Sora launched himself with Aerora and started firing elemental magic blasts at the Demon Tide from above while Donald did the same from below. Finally, Alicia & Goofy hit it with a Goofy Bombardier that actually made the gestalt lose cohesion for a moment.

(MUSIC: _Kingdom Hearts 0.2 OST _– "Wave of Darkness (Phase 2)")

Then, the Demon Tide dove into the ground, vanishing completely, as the ground went black and the sky overhead darkened with a reddish tint. A few seconds later, the core floated up, now bright orange, and the component Shadows were swirling around it like a miniature (about 100 ft. tall) tornado. The Demon Tides' components' eyes turned red as the whirling funnel tightened in shape and started spinning faster, starting to zip back & forth across the battlefield, trying to snatch the four heroes in the deadly vortex. Donald & Goofy took a few glancing hits, the former healing them both with Cura, while Alicia picked Sora up and flew him out of the way of the Heartless-tornado's attacks.

The Demon Tide twister slowed and loosened, and Donald started hitting the core with Thundaga spells while Sora leapt in and started bashing it with his Keyblade. The component Shadows' eyes turned red as the Demon Tide flung Sora way and got distance, and as the Heartless-twister spun faster, it started flinging Shadows from its main 'body' while lobbing explosive orbs of bluish-black darkness from the top of the 'funnel'. Goofy and Sora charged, the former weathering the storm of Shadows with his shield and the latter ducking & weaving as he closed in; a couple of explosive darkness orbs coming for them were blasted away by Donald's Firaza and Alicia's Thundaza. Not willing to risk getting in close when the Demon Tide was whirling so violently, Sora threw a charged-up Strike Raid so that it spun in going the opposite direction of the Shadow-tornado's spin. It slashed its way around and around the funnel, killing several Shadows, and then slipped inside and buzz-sawed across the core a few times before teleporting back to Sora's hands.

The Demon Tide spun over to the rough 'center' of the battlefield and then suddenly flattened and expanded out, forming a whirlwind that hurled the quartet of heroes into the air. Tendrils of Shadows lashed through the air, blasts of darkness being fired upwards, trying to crush the airborne warriors. Alicia flew in and grabbed Goofy, Donald formed a pair of semi-functional 'wings' of magic that couldn't actually fly but would let him glide down safely, and Sora actually tucked himself in and accelerated down toward the center. Right as the Demon Tide twister returned to its normal shape, Sora came down with Keyblade in hand and landed a momentum-assisted slash loaded with Light power. The orange core rippled and wavered, almost struggling to hold itself together.

Then, the Demon Tide shifted back to its serpentine form, and it began to swirl in a circle, faster and faster. The other two Demon Tides joined in, and then huge tendrils of shadows lashed out, rapidly engulfing all remaining Heartless, Nobodies, and Unversed, dragging them into the growing cyclone, breaking them down and converting them into raw Darkness which then became more and more Shadows, feeding the process. Before long, an enormous tornado of thousands upon thousands of Shadows dominated the battlefield, reaching up into the darkened sky – a "Demon Hurricane".

"W-What now?" Goofy asked.

"I don't know if we can take _that_ thing down without leaving our key players too tired to deal with the Seekers of Darkness" Piccolo said.

Then, every single one of the countless Shadow eyes glowed red. A truly massive Demon Tide surge shot down at the puny heroes, ready to engulf and consume them…

(MUSIC END)

Suddenly, there was a brilliant flash of white light. In a field of light, Sora found himself facing a silver-haired youth in a white shirt with black jacket, black shorts & gloves, and a long red scarf, a Keyblade in his hand. The boy turned to face him, revealing teal eyes.

(MUSIC: _Kingdom Hearts III _– [Dearly Beloved + The Key of Light fusion])

"Need some help?" Ephemer's ghost said with a grin.

As a wave of light shoved the Darkness back, the numerous dust-covered Keyblades scattered across the area lit up with Light, floating up and flying together in formation. From across the Keyblade Graveyard, hundreds more Keyblades heeded the call of their long-deceased wielders, a serpentine chain of Light flying in, circling around the Demon Hurricane. As a tendril of Shadows tried again to strike at the heroes, the flying Keyblades flew in and slashed most of them apart.

"The spirits of the past…" Zeratul said with awe.

"Even in death," Aqua muttered, eyes wide, "they're still ready to give their all to protect the worlds…"

Grinning, Sora ran alongside the formation of Keyblades and leapt aboard, balancing atop a blue & silver star-themed one. Five more of that same design took formation floating ahead of him, projecting a star-shaped magic barrier, and the Kingdom Key glowed with holy light.

"Let's go!"

The wave of hundreds of glowing Keyblades surged forward, spreading out and starting to slash and blast through the Demon Hurricane. The various DDF magical girls below pitched in to help, firing Light-type attacks at the horde. Soon, the massive black tornado began to visibly lose mass, its rotation slowing, as scores of Shadows were destroyed. Then, Sora and the swarm of Keyblades dove into the abyss, lighting up the writhing darkness inside as they continued blasting and slashing through Heartless.

Eventually, the core came in sight a now-enormous sphere of orange and black floating in the heart of the storm. Blasts of Darkness flew Sora's way, but the Keyblades flocking with him deflected or bashed away the attacks as he continued directing the swarm's attacks like an orchestra conductor. Eventually, so many Shadows had been killed that daylight was again visible, the core fully exposed. As the others finished off the stragglers, Sora thrusted his Keyblade forward, and he & 'his' swarm of Keyblades surged forward and pierced straight through. The core contracted into a point of light, and then exploded into light and sparkles, finally vanquished.

(MUSIC END)

The flying Keyblades brought Sora back down to the ground, and then floated up in formation, revolving in several circles to form a giant upside-down cone. Then, most of them came together and vanished in a burst of light… but several of them instead turned into motes of Light that flew down toward the gathering of heroes. Nanoha Takamachi gasped as the Light flew into her chest, leaving a brief glow and a spreading warmth, a feeling of metaphysical presence inside her. The other lights quickly found people as well – John-117, Naruto Uzumaki, Negi Entheofushia-Springfield, Goku, Commander Shepard, Twilight Sparkle, Sonic, Samus, Ruby Rose, Angelise, Sakura Kinomoto, the seven "Lead PreCures" (Blossom, Melody, Happy, Heart, Lovely, Flora, & Miracle), and Steven Universe.

Calling upon the Light now within her, Nanoha reflexively held out her hand, and with a flash of light appeared a red, blue, & green Keyblade – "Fairy Stars". The other 19 quickly discovered that they had been given the ability to summon a Keyblade as well, ranging from Ruby's "Divine Rose" to Cure Blossom's cute pink flower-themed Keyblade to John-117's long, angular green Keyblade with a blue Reclaimer symbol at the base of the blade-shaft.

"Trouble!" Kairi suddenly called out, pointing to a figure approaching through the wind-blown dust, exuding an evil aura. Seeing his evil past self grinning at him, Rick snarled.

"The Organization's been using Hearts" Mickey explained while gently holding Riku back. "Ones that Xehanort got to in the past and has influence over. So, that must be you from when Ansem had control over _your_ Heart.

"Yeah…" Riku growled. "How could I forget?"

The evil younger Riku laughed. "I'd say that was our finest hour."

The real Riku shook his head. "My hour of weakness."

"You sure~?" He drew his blade, a black & purple aura surging to life around him. "How about we _find out?!_"

A huge black specter of Master Xehanort appeared from Dark Riku's aura, looming over the heroes.

"A real test for the Mark of Mastery!" he cried.

"What's that supposed to mean?!" Sora asked.

Xigbar emerged from a Corridor of Darkness next to his shorter companion. "We gotta make sure you're not blundering your way toward a second failure" he replied.

"Blundering?" Lea said. "I'll have you know we failed with style, _chief_."

"At least you admit it. Well, if you guardians think you brought the goods, you'll have to prove it to the Old Man one last time." He clapped Dark Riku on the shoulder. "Kid… take it away."

Laughing, Dark Riku roared out as the specter of Xehanort grew in size and ascended. Then, the mass of Darkness transformed into a gateway to the Realm of Darkness, through which a horde of Pureblood Heartless poured, surrounding the heroes. Dark Riku retreated as hundreds of Shadows, Darkballs, Invisibles, Shadow Stalkers, a handful of Demon Towers, even a Dark Inferno and a Dark Hide, all converged on the heroes, boxing them in. Mickey made to raise his Keyblade, but Riku grabbed it and shook his head.

"If you use time magic against these numbers," he said, "you won't have enough strength for the final battle."

"Could you teleport us all through, Kakarot?" Vegeta asked.

"No" Goku replied. "I need an energy signature to home in on, and the Seekers are hiding theirs."

"Maybe Teana & I could punch a hole with a double Starlight Breaker," Nanoha suggested, "let Sora's core group move on ahead."

Suddenly, a ball of blue smoky light shot down from above, punching a hole through and destabilizing the gateway that was pouring out Heartless. Hitting the ground, it revealed none other than Genie from Agrabah. And before Sora could even think of anything to say, the big blue djinn grinned and gave the heroes a thumbs-up with one hand while snapping his fingers with the other. In a flash of light, a great big group of Sora's allies from other worlds appeared – Tarzan, Aladdin, Jack Skellington, Hercules, Peter Pan (& Tinker-Bell), Mulan (& Mushu), (Captain!) Jack Sparrow, Stitch, Mike & Sully, Simba, the Big Hero 6, Buzz & Woody (in full-size, non-toy forms), Luke Skywalker, the Radiant Garden crew (Leon, Yuffie, Aerith, Tifa, & Cloud)…

"You're… all here?" Sora said, astonished. "But how?"

"I offered them all the chance to help out," Genie explained, "and they leapt at the chance!"

"After all you did for us," Mulan said, "did you really think we wouldn't find some way to return the favor for you?"

"You fellas get going" Jack Skellington said with a smile. "We'll hold these scoundrels off!"

"More than hold them off" Hercules added. "We'll smash them all!"

"We'll stay and help with that" Naruto said.

Commander Shepard stepped forward to face the 'main' group. "Sora, Donald, Goofy, Aqua, Ven, Lea, Kairi, Links, you all go on ahead. The rest of us will handle things here."

"Kanade siblings, Twilight & Trixie, Angelise," Teana said, "you guys have personal bad guys to deal with up ahead, too. Go with Sora's group!"

"…I'm going with them, too" Luke Skywalker said. "I can feel the Force nudging me forwards…"

Sora nodded. "Thank you, everyone. I promise this'll all be over before too long! _Let's go!_"

The various heroes fired energy waves that punched a hole through the Heartless' lines, letting the chosen group rush through, heading towards destiny…

**-****_CHAPTER START_****-**

Next Time: Dealing with the Seekers of Darkness. And don't worry; Yen-Sid will still have a role to play...


	19. The Second Keyblade War

Crap, I forgot Elsa in last chapter's "Sora's allies come to help" scene, she's there too. _And_ I forgot Ryuuko's Keyblade!

**SEE CHAPTER ONE FOR (MOST) DISCLAIMERS**

PLEASE READ & REVIEW, AND TEND TO THE TROPE PAGE (CHARACTER PAGE IS NOW GONE)

**-****_CHAPTER START_****-**

In a far corner of the battlefield, Terra-Xehanort's demonic 'Guardian' caught the Lingering Will's helmet in its clawed hand and crushed it.

'_As… planned…_'

**-****_Break_****-**

The heroes marched forward, passing countless dust-covered Keyblades stabbed into the dead ground. As they reached an open section in the midst of the field of blades, they stopped as a large group of villains approached – the "core 13" (Master Xehanort, Xigbar, Dark Riku, Luxord, Marluxia, Larxene, Saïx, Terranort, Vanitas, Young Xehanort, Ansem, Xemnas, and a small unknown figure) in front, followed right behind by Ganondorf, Zant, Ghirahim, Karide, Alektra, and Checker. The seven "core" Guardians of Light – Sora, Riku, Mickey, Lea, Kairi, Aqua, & Ven – stepped forward to meet them, the two groups coming to a halt.

"Today," Master Xehanort said, "we join these other wielders and leave our mark on fate. I have waited patiently… but together, we shall unlock the Keyblade War's secrets."

With a twitch of his hand, he summoned his evil-looking Keyblade and held it high.

"Now, we forge it. The ultimate key… The χ-Blade!"

He spun the weapon around, the tip glowing with power, and then stabbed it down into the earth. Lines traced across the entire area, and then ancient Keyblades were hurtled through the air as massive earthen walls began to spring up – a huge labyrinth that quickly encompassed the entire battleground. Xehanort and his allies stood atop a slab of earth & stone that towered over the rest, looking down upon the heroes below. At his signal, the various Seekers of Darkness dispersed, moving down into the labyrinth. The heroes moved forward, splitting up to follow different paths and face different opponents.

Sora headed left at the first intersection, hurrying towards where Riku was trying to fight off Xigbar, Dark Riku, and Xehanort's Heartless all at once. Riku blocked Dark Riku's strike and flung him back, but then Xigbar leapt up and fired his arrowguns, forcing Riku to break off his attack and evade. Sora finally caught up, the two boys forming up together. Xehanort's Heartless cast a barrier of Darkness around the area, looking like flickering black flames clinging to the walls, and then vanished through a Corridor of Darkness. Dark Riku stunned Riku while he was busy trying to chase after XH, and then Xigbar fired several shots at the downed older boy; Sora managed to intercept and deflect them just in time.

(BOSS MUSIC: _Kingdom Hearts 2.5 _– "The 13th Dilemma")

"Hey, let's speed it up!" the eyepatched man said. "Keep the line moving!"

Sora cast Cure on Riku to heal some of his fatigue, and then the duo charged at the two Seekers. Riku fired several Dark-type _Sagitta Magica_ to intercept the handful of shots Xigbar sent his way, he & Xigbar soon flinging magic at each other. Dark Riku tried to attack Riku while he was distracted, but Sora intercepted, blocking his blade and going on the offensive to push him back. Jumping back, Dark Riku swung his blade, releasing slicing waves of dark magic, but Sora leapt or rolled to dodge and returned fire with a Strike Raid that knocked Dark Riku on his ass.

Xigbar brought an arrowgun up to block Riku's strike, then pointed the other weapon backward and fired into a tiny portal; the exit portal formed behind & above Riku, the bolt hitting him in the back and knocking him forward, but he managed to recover in time to cast a Shield against Xigbar's follow-up shot. The fight between Sora and Dark Riku came closer, and Sora flung a Blizzaga spell at Xigbar, forcing him to warp back, while Riku and Dark Riku dashed back & forth at each other, clashing blades each time they crossed.

While fighting Riku, Dark Riku conjured a shadowy blob of Darkness that raced across the floor toward Sora, who saw it coming and leapt away with fractions of a second to spare as it abruptly expanded into some bizarre bear-trap, antlion thing, curling scythe-claws trying to impale him from multiple angles at once. Sora blasted the thing with a Firaga shot, then used his Keyblade to deflect a few shots from Xigbar's weapons. Riku ducked under a swing of Dark Riku's blade aimed at his neck, then knocked his evil copy back with a kick to the gut, firing a Dark Firaga blast at him that was intercepted by a shot from Xigbar.

Riku & Sora switched again, Sora responding to a leaping strike from Dark Riku by knocking him out of the air with a Strike Raid. Riku managed to get past Xigbar's guard and land several blows on him, knocking him back, but then Xigbar's dark aura surged to life as he focused his power, his eye glowing faintly. He called upon the full strength of his spatial-manipulation magic, ensnaring Sora & Riku in a twisted maze of rock walls in shapes that kinda hurt to look directly at. Then, he started rapid-firing shots through tiny portals, the red arrow-bolts emerging from countless portals and firing in from every angle, some of them changing direction midair. Sora & Riku got back to back, their Keyblades nearly blurs as they deflected and blocked, just like the end of their first climactic battle against Xemnas.

As Xigbar ran out of steam, panting for breath as his spatial magic was dispelled, Sora went on the attack, using a Strike Raid to Reverse Recall himself right up in Xigbar's face. He struck with a barrage of heavy blows that sent Xigbar reeling, finishing with a full-strength diagonal slash that created a tearing flash of Light.

(MUSIC PAUSE)

After a few seconds, Xigbar fell to his knees, groaning weakly.

"Figures…" he said, looking down at his weapons. "If I had my Keyblade, it'd be different…"

"You think you're actually worthy to use one?" Sora asked, mocking.

Xigbar smirked. "Of course I am. Hell… I used to _have_ one."

At that, Sora & Riku all but recoiled in shock.

"I got myself into a situation… where I had to give up either my Keyblade, or my life. And considerin' I'm here talkin' to ya, you can figure which option I picked." He stabbed one of his arrowguns into the dirt, pushing himself up onto his feet using it as a brace. "The old coot promised to either help me get my old Keyblade back, or bequeath me his. Why else do you think I would ever put up with all his nonsense?"

Riku frowned. "It'd be wasted on you."

"…Heh. As if."

Xigbar staggered back through a Dark Corridor, appearing on one of the labyrinth walls overlooking the battlefield. Grinning down at the youths, he stepped back toward the opposite edge… and let himself fall. A second later, his weapons disintegrated into motes of darkness.

(MUSIC RESUME)

"Well then," Dark Riku spoke up, "I guess I'll have to kill _both_ of you."

He started firing shotgun-cluster shots of Darkness & Fire magic at the two heroes, and took advantage of Riku forming a Reflect shield by flash-stepping in behind him and landing a slash that would've cut Riku open were it not for the Key-bearer's outfit's protective magic. Before Dark Riku could press his attack, Sora came in and pushed him back, several blows that eventually broke through Dark Riku's guard and beat him around. Growling, Dark Riku released a shockwave of dark power that didn't really hurt Sora but flung him back and gave Dark Riku some breathing room.

Dark Riku's black & purple aura surged, the sky overhead darkening a little, and he started zipping back & forth, leaving trails of lightning-like dark power and dark shockwaves that raced across the dead earth whenever his feet touched ground. Sora and Riku dodged frantically, the latter grunting as he failed to completely dodge one of his evil counterpart's charges. Dark Riku finished by leaping high and then crashing to the ground to send out a deadly shockwave and slashing waves of crackling Darkness, knocking Sora away.

Healing himself with Cura, Riku went on the attack, hitting Dark Riku with a bright flare of magic to stun him and then laying into him with powerful blows. Finally, he charged a great amount of power into his Way to the Dawn, lashing out with a horizontal slash that sent a visible wave of magic through Dark Riku.

(MUSIC: _Kingdom Hearts 2.5 HD _– "Riku's Theme")

As Riku leapt back, Dark Riku wavered on his feet, his black & purple aura flickering weakly. He looked down at his shaking hand, willing himself to hold together.

"You're not… real…" he said.

"…What?" Riku was confused; where was this coming from?

"I'm… the _real_ one…"

"Aren't you my past self? From when Ansem possessed me?"

"No" Riku Replica's spirit replied as he emerged from Riku, wreathed in light. "You beat Ansem, and you're still here. This guy isn't _you_ from the past… he's _me_!"

He flew forward, plunging his hand into the Dark Riku Replica's chest. DRR's cry died as a surge of darkness fled from him, revealing him in an Organization coat with a dead expression.

"I knew it…" Riku Replica said. "It's a Replica body. A soon-to-be-empty vessel. I've been waiting for a chance like this."

He dove into the DRR body, and after a few seconds emerged flying in the air, the unconscious/dead Dark Riku Replica limp in his arm. The now-featureless Replica collapsed to the ground. Shocked, Riku looked up at his 'twin'.

"What are you doing?! Take the vessel!"

"…No. The world already has you. There's someone else who needs that Replica more. …Give Naminé her life back."

"…You're sacrificing yourself for her…"

The ghostly Riku Replica smiled warmly. "Good luck… my brother."

With a pillar of rising Darkness and Light, the Dark Riku Replica's Heart was returned to the time period it came from… while the present Riku Replica's spirit passed on to the beyond.

(MUSIC END)

**-****_Break_****-**

(BOSS MUSIC: _Kingdom Hearts III _– "Unforgettable")

In a "smaller" chamber somewhere in the labyrinth, three Diclonii squared off. Kaede & Kanba Kanade were in defensives stances, the latter's Keyblade ready, directing matching glares at Karidé, who had a bloodthirsty grin and was holding a serrated sword wreathed in Darkness.

"This is a _looong_ time coming" Karidé said. "You threw me away, Kaede. Did you really think that wouldn't come back to bite you?"

"You've caused enough trouble already" Kaede growled, drawing a plasma sword. "We won't let you hurt anyone else!"

Karidé laughed, sounding a little unstable. "As Xigbar says, _as if_! After I kill you and your widdle baby bwother, I'll kill every non-Diclonius out there, along with any of our kind who try to stop me! We will be the master race over all creation, and _I will be our queen_!"

She punched the earth, releasing a shockwave that sent stony shrapnel flying at Kaede & Kanba. The siblings' vectors blurred with motion as they bashed/sliced away the incoming projectiles, and Kaede fired a wave of _Sagitta Magica_ while Kanba rushed in close. He landed a couple blows on Karidé, leaping back to avoid her vectors, and then Kaede moved in. Karidé managed to bring her sword up to block Kaede's, though, backstepping to dodge the pink-haired girl's blade & vector strikes.

Kanba fired Blizzara blasts at Karidé, a grazing blow frosting her arm over, limiting her movements for a few seconds as she tried to block his attacks. Kaede followed in her little brother's wake, hitting Karidé with a ki blast that flung her back. Snarling, the Diclonius Unversed charged dark power into her blade and swung it to release slicing waves of energy at the siblings. As Kaede bent and stepped to dodge the incoming energy blades, Karidé dashed in and landed a kick to Kaede's back that would've snapped a non-ki-user's spine, sending her tumbling, but Kanba intercepted Karidé's follow-up attack and smashed her away, casting Cura on his sister.

Karidé fired a blast of Darkness & Wind magic at Kanba, knocking him off his feet, but then Kaede got in close and landed a few vector-augmented punches before Karidé managed to fling her away. Kanba got in close again and struck with a Gatling Fist / _Tarenken_ barrage, his vectors lashing out with over a dozen punches per second. Karidé was sent staggering back, reeling from the assault, but when Kaede went in for the kill she managed to gather herself and block her good counterpart's plasma blade with a vector. She and Kaede punched each other across the face, and then vector-leapt back to avoid each other's follow-up slashes.

A black & purple aura surged around Karidé, her vectors glowing purple & blue with Dark power, her silvery horns lengthening slightly and becoming sharp & pointed. A tornado of Darkness-tinted Wind magic swirled around her, carving gouges into the earth beneath & around her. With a feral fanged grin, she lunged at the siblings, flinging deadly cutting waves of energy as she charged. She went for Kaede, lashing out with sword strikes and energy blasts while keeping Kanba at bay with her vectors. Kaede did her best to defend herself, even landing a few blows despite taking some of her own, bleeding from several gashes opened up by Karidé's wind-blades and vectors.

Kaede managed to blast Karidé back with a point-blank ki blast, and Kanba moved in and began beating the Unversed Lord around with Keyblade strikes. He managed to knock her serrated sword out of her hands, grab it with a vector and fling it far away, and chipped one of her sharpened horns, making her cry out in pained rage. Karidé's attacks became more ferocious, pushing Kanba back and making him bleed, until finally he broke off and leapt away. Kaede hit her with a few _Sagitta Magica_ as she closed in again, the two Diclonii beating each other around for a few moments. Kanba threw his 'All for One' in a Strike Raid, a 'glancing' blow cutting across Karidé's side, dealing significant Light-based damage to the pure-Darkness being. Karidé snarled, turning to face Kanba…

…And then Kaede, having caught Kanba's Keyblade, poured power in and swung with all her might. A diagonal slash of Light went down across Karidé's body, as Kaede leapt away and landed by her brother, whose Keyblade returned to him. Both siblings readied for more action, but Karidé didn't attack. The Unversed Lord had an expression of shock and disbelief on her face, her body trembling.

(MUSIC END)

Soon, Karidé's body began to waver, motes of Darkness falling away like ashes. Desperately, she began staggering and stumbling towards the duo, her dark aura smoky and weak, bits of Darkness still falling away. With a look of determination, anger, and helpless fear beneath that, she came closer, reaching a trembling hand out toward Kaede. The pink Diclonius stood her ground, tense and ready, as Karidé's outstretched fingers got within inches of her chest…

…and then disintegrated. Karidé's body went still and then crumbled away into smoke & particles of Darkness, drifting away in the wind and vanishing into nothing. Kaede & Kanba shared a look, and Kaede then sagged with relief. The legacy of 'Lucy' was over; her dark side was gone forever…

**-****_Break_****-**

King Mickey leapt high to avoid Larxene's thrown kunai and Luxord's thrown razor-cards, then backflipped midair to dodge Marluxia's scythe. He landed beside Donald & Goofy as the former fired a Fira blast at Xemnas, only for Marluxia to bat the magic blast away. At this point, Sora came in, forming up with the trio.

Xemnas smirked, then floated up off the ground. Nothingness power gathered within him, then he released it to conjure a wave of black thorns that rapidly encircled the area, forming a barrier. Then, he poured dark power into Luxord, making Xehanort's essence overtake the time-bending gambler, his eyes glowing gold as a Xehanort-like smirk formed on his face. He then vanished through a Dark Corridor.

(MUSIC: _Kingdom Hearts 2.5 HD _– "The 13th Struggle")

Luxord tossed a handful of cards in all directions, and as they hit the ground they became person-sized and floated in a big circle. He threw a card at Sora, but King Mickey deflected it… and it then projected inward-spiraling purple magic that sucked Mickey in, trapping him in the card which then returned to Luxord. Donald & Goofy tried to intervene, but suddenly Marluxia & Larxene leapt in, tossed them both out of the card-barrier, then left the barrier themselves, leaving Sora & Luxord to duel one-on-one. Luxord then had the giant cards begin revolving around them.

"One final game, Sora" he said. "The rules are simple: All you have to do win is find me among these cards and strike me down."

He snapped his fingers and vanished. As Sora started looking around at the cards, which were all facing away from him, more giant cards appeared surrounding him and rushed inward; he barely got a Reflect barrier up in time. He rushed at one of the outer cards and struck, but it spun around to reveal a stylized 'X' and then exploded, flinging him back.

Casting Cure on himself, Sora looked around at the spinning cards, trying to see any hints. As he leapt to avoid another slicing-card strike, he noticed that although all of the giant outer cards were slightly bobbing up & down as they revolved around the area, one was slightly out of sync with the others. He threw a Strike Raid at it, the impact knocking Luxord out of the card; Sora immediately Reverse-Recall teleported to his Keyblade and started whaling on Luxord with powerful blows.

Luxord retreated into a card again the moment he got the chance, still reeling from Sora's attack. All of the cards were moving in sync this time, and some of them started firing normal-sized razor-sharp cards at Sora from different angles. Sora deflected and dodged the deadly projectiles while scanning the big cards, soon spotting one that seemed to be slightly closer to the card on its left than the one on its right. Sora rushed in and slashed that card… and it exploded, stunning him as Luxord emerged from the next card over, blade-cards held between his fingers and being swung like claws. Sora managed to block, and with a burst of strength he shoved Luxord back and landed a few more hits on him.

As Luxord retreated into the giant cards again, the onslaught of deadly sharp cards – both normal-sized and giant – intensified, giving Sora less room to maneuver and think. All of the big cards revolving around the edge of the battlefield were moving in sync and equidistant from their partners. Sora was about to just give up and start spamming area-of-effect magic when a brief break in the clouds made him notice something. He fired a Flare spell upwards while keeping his eye on one card, and saw it again: that card's shadow was slightly thicker and darker than the others'. He used the Strike Raid / Reverse Recall trick to bring himself to that card, and slashed with all his might, cutting the card in half and revealing Luxord with a burst of darkness, a diagonal slash of Light going down his torso fading from view. All of the other giant cards broke apart and vanished into motes of Nothingness.

(MUSIC END)

Groaning weakly, his body beginning to steam away, Luxord fell to one knee. He looked up at Sora with a tired smile as Donald & Goofy rejoined their friend.

"You were born for these sorts of games…"

Calling a card out from his sleeve, he tossed it to Sora, who looked at it quizzically.

"What's this?" he asked.

"A wild card" Luxord replied. "You've earned it. Hang onto it." He gasped as he felt his life ebbing away. "It could turn the tables… against the _next_ threat that I _know_ is in your future. Sora… Xigbar was more than he seemed. He's set something in motion…"

Eyes briefly wide in surprise, Sora nodded. "I'll be ready… I'll play ya again sometime, when we're just guys."

Luxord chuckled weakly. "I should like that very much, Sora…"

With one final burst of Light & Darkness, he was gone. A lone card fluttered to the ground, and with a flash of light Mickey was freed.

(MUSIC: _Kingdom Hearts 1.5 HD _– "Lord of the Castle")

With Luxord 'dead' and Sora's friends back in the fray, Marluxia & Larxene went on the attack. Larxene dashed in first, a crack of thunder sounding out as she lightning-jumped in, kunai held between her fingers and being swung like claws. Sora danced backward to dodge until King Mickey pushed Larxene back, and then Marluxia came in, a swing of his scythe almost taking Goofy's head off.

A blast of raw magic from Donald sent Marluxia tumbling back, the pink-haired Nobody digging his scythe into the ground to stop his motion and then launching himself at the heroes with a wide spinning slash that left a pink afterimage behind the blade. The four heroes broke apart to dodge, and Larxene moved to engage Sora & Donald, while Marluxia went for Mickey & Goofy. Larxene leapt and released a lightning-bolt shockwave upon landing, knocking Sora back, but her follow-up knife slash was blocked by a Reflect from Donald, who then used Cure on Sora. Sora went on the attack, soon breaking past Larxene's guard and landing a few blows on her.

Across the battlefield, Mickey leapt over a swing of Marluxia's scythe, giving Goofy space to bash the Nobody with his shield, sending the pink-haired man stumbling back a little. King Mickey landed another couple of hits, but Marluxia recovered and kicked him away. The "Graceful Assassin" then conjured sharp thorny vines of Nothingness that swung and stabbed at Mickey & Goofy, forcing them back, then swung his scythe down at Goofy. Mickey's Keyblade blocked the blade, and the little warrior king blasted Marluxia with an orb of Light magic, blowing him back.

Larxene summoned a few Shadow Clones that spread out and started tossing kunai at Sora & Donald from multiple angles. Sora batted the knives away while Donald surrounded himself in a small Reflect barrier, and Sora nailed one of Larxene's Shadow Clones with a Strike Raid, destroying it. Larxene went for a "Lightning Slam" against Donald, but Sora dashed in and cast Reflera to protect his friend; Larxene's two Shadow Clones tried to attack from the side, but Donald blasted one in the chest with a Firaga, destroying it. Sora then hit Larxene with a heavy blow from his Keyblade that flung her away.

Letting out a snarling laugh, Larxene crackled with power as the kunai held between her fingers were engulfed in powerful Lightning-type magic, forming a set of huge, crackling golden-yellow claws. She started zipping around too fast to see, leaving trails of lightning, dashing in and making lightning-quick strikes that made Sora's arms ache & tingle to block. She made upward slashes along the ground that sent cutting waves of lightning slashing across the earth toward Sora & Donald, leaving them leaping & rolling to dodge.

As Larxene zapped back & forth across the battlefield, making hit-&-run strikes at Sora and Donald, Sora did his best to keep calm and try to find a pattern in her movements. Finally, as she rushed at him, swinging her thunder claws at his head, he ducked under her slashing claws while swinging his Keyblade, turning her momentum against her to land an especially powerful blow that slashed across her midsection.

(MUSIC PAUSE)

A pillar of darkness shot up from Larxene as she fell to her knees.

"You're kidding me…" she griped in a trembling voice, her body already starting to break down.

"Why the long face?" Sora asked. "You're gonna be recompleted!"

"I didn't ask for your garbage opinion" she gasped out. "I lost to you _again_! But… I guess it could be worse. Become that hammy old geezer's vessel? No thanks."

"Then why help him?"

"Hmph! I was really just along for the ride. I only joined up for… for someone else…"

Sora tilted his head. "Who?"

Taking a look over at where Marluxia was fighting Mickey & Goofy, Larxene grinned. "That's my secret~."

With that, she disintegrated into sparks and ashes.

(MUSIC RESUME)

Even though he blocked Marluxia's strike, King Mickey was still sent flying by the force behind it. Marluxia then pressed his attack on Goofy, beating away at the royal knight's shield, until Sora came to the rescue, hitting Marluxia in the side a couple times and forcing him to back off. Donald got Mickey back on his feet with a Cure spell, while Sora & Marluxia exchanged blows, scythe and Keyblade clanging together as they blocked each other's strikes.

Marluxia leapt back and jabbed his scythe into the ground, conjuring patches of Darkness ringed in thorny black vines on the ground, limiting where in the battlefield the heroes could go. He then swung his scythe through the air, conjuring and firing waves of deadly-sharp flower petals with each swing, battering the four heroes' shields/Reflects, some of the projectiles breaking through. King Mickey charged power, casting a ball of Light magic that then split into multiple smaller orbs which flew at the darkness-&-thorn patches and destroyed them. With more room to maneuver, the heroes went wide, Sora & Mickey tossing Strike Raids at Marluxia from the left & right, catching him with them before he could evade.

Glowing pink & black with power, Marluxia sank into the ground and extended his now-glowing scythe out. He started zipping back & forth across the battlefield, scythe spinning and leaving an afterimage behind, looking like a huge pink deadly wheel tearing across the earth. The heroes scrambled to avoid being sliced apart, flinging magic blasts that did nothing to stop Marluxia's onslaught. All they could do was keep dodging until he ran out of steam…

Finally, Marluxia reemerged, panting softly. Goofy was the first to recover and go back on the offensive, closing in and swinging his shield, putting Marluxia on the defensive. The Nobody gritted his teeth as a Thunder spell from Donald coursed through him, and Goofy leapt back as Mickey & Sora came in, the two wielders of the "prime" Keyblades of the Realms of Light & Darkness bombarding Marluxia with mighty blows. Finally, Sora & Mickey used their Light-based magic to charge each other's Keyblades and swung with a full-power cross slash.

(MUSIC END)

Marluxia's scythe fell to the ground with a clang, dissolving into darkness and cherry-blossom petals. Falling to his knees, Marluxia looked down at his trembling, smoking hands.

"Oh… So _now_ it all comes back to me…" he said wistfully. He let out a bitter laugh, a hand to his head.

"Is that a _real_ laugh?" Sora asked.

"Yes… My heart is remembering how to feel."

"I'm glad to hear it" Sora grinned.

"And now, I am on the cusp of reclaiming my identity… as Laurium, survivor… of the Great War…"

Sora gasped. "Wait… Your 'Somebody' is a Keyblade wielder? One who survived the Keyblade War?!"

Marluxia nodded weakly. "The same is true for… for Larxene, Luxord, and Demyx. That's why Xemnas made us into Nobodies – in hopes of harnessing the Keyblade's power. But none of us retained our Originals' memories or ability to wield the Keyblade. It wasn't until Roxas that Xemnas got what he wanted. Now… I can reclaim my reason for being… thanks to _you_, Sora…"

Marluxia then came apart in a burst of flower petals, drifting away on the wind.

"So Xemnas was trying to get a Keyblade wielder in the old Organization," Mickey mused, "and it took him five tries to get it. Still… The Great War was _centuries_ ago; how were Demyx, Luxord, Marluxia, & Larxene's "Originals" alive in modern times to be made into Nobodies?"

"I'm wondering…" Sora said. "Xigbar admitted that _he_ used to have a Keyblade, too, but he got in a situation where he had to either give it up or lose his life. What if he was from that era, too?"

"…We can figure it out later, I guess" the King said. "I'm gonna go after Xemnas; Donald, Goofy, wanna come with?"

"Of course, Your Majesty" the duo chorused.

**-****_Break_****-**

In his attempt to track and pursue Xehanort's Heartless, Riku caught up with Link, Hero of Twilight. The two young heroes pressed on together, vigilant for any signs of their enemies. That caution saved their lives, letting them see the incoming fusillade of diamond-shaped kunai and leap back to avoid, Link bringing his shield to bear. Hearing slow applause, they turned to see Ghirahim slowly floating down to earth.

"You two have done quite well for yourselves so far" he said. "However, I'm afraid you won't be going any farther. But not to worry; I'm sure your swords will fit right in with all the other grave markers that litter this desolate place…"

(MUSIC: _Skyward Sword _– "Ghirahim Battle (Final)")

As his dark aura flared to life, Ghirahim's skin and clothing seemed to disintegrate off of him, revealing a body of what looked like solid unpolished bronze, crisscrossed by white lines in bizarre patterns, along with a large gray diamond-shaped gem in the center of his chest, his eyes a uniform glowing white. A shimmering orange & black barrier sprang up around the area, trapping Riku & Link in with the flamboyant demon.

Ghirahim conjured a pair of large, slightly curved blades (like some sort of rapier/scimitar cross) and charged at the heroes with blinding speed. Eyes widening, Riku barely brought his 'Way to the Dawn' up in time to block, being pushed back an inch by the force of the blocked strike. Ghirahim grinned with an unstable little chuckle, then abruptly broke off and bent over backwards to avoid Link's downward slash. The two heroes went on the attack, but Ghirahim was able to block and fend off their strikes his twin blades, the sound of clanging metal echoing through the area.

Warned by Fi, Riku & Link leapt away right as Ghirahim conjured a wave of black and white diamond-shaped magic blasts, shooting straight up from the ground around & beneath him. Riku fired a wave of Dark Volley shots, but Ghirahim parried most of them and shrugged off the few that hit. Link fired an arrow, but Ghirahim caught it and snapped it in two. Link fired a second and third arrow, and Ghirahim did the same with them. Then Link fired a Bomb Arrow, and when Ghirahim reflexively caught that one as well, it blew up in his face. While Ghirahim was stunned, Link rushed in and landed several slashes, knocking Ghirahim over, then went for a leaping stab aimed at the demon's chest, only for Ghirahim to roll out of the way and get back on his feet.

Link went on the defensive as Ghirahim focused on him, using sword & shield to parry the demon lord's twin blades as best he could. Riku came to his aid, attacking Ghirahim from the side and landing a few blows before the demon compensated and fended him off. Ghirahim leapt back and started conjuring & firing diamond-shaped daggers that clattered against Link's Hylian Shield and Riku's 'Dark Barrier' spell, and soon he tried making some shoot in at the two heroes from above and behind, only for Link's Spin Attack to deflect the incoming projectiles while Riku expanded his barrier spell into a sphere around himself.

The moment the 'storm' let up, Riku attacked, firing a few Blizzard shots to distract Ghirahim as he closed in. He beat Ghirahim around a bit with a punishing combination of blows, the last hit causing a small chip/crack in the villain's chest-crystal. Growling, Ghirahim slapped him away, and was about to attack while Riku was briefly stunned but got nailed by a 'sword-beam' from Link that almost knocked him over. Link pressed his attack, battering at Ghirahim's guard and eventually pulling a feint that let him land a few more hits.

Ghirahim coated one of his swords in fire magic and the other in ice magic, pushing Link back with a renewed assault. Riku moved in, taking some of the pressure off Link, but the two heroes had to break off their attack and jump away to avoid another "rising diamond storm". The moment his feet touched ground and Ghirahim's attack ended, Riku dashed forward in a Sonic Blade strike, sending Ghirahim staggering back with a loud clang and scoring his chest-crystal.

Glaring at the human, Ghirahim blasted Riku point-blank with an energy blast that flung him back, stunned and in pain. His Keyblade was sent flying out of his grasp… and was caught by Link. It turns out that being the chosen bearer of the Master Sword, legendary divine-forged weapon of Light, led to Keyblades 'registering' him as a Bearer, and thus the Way to the Dawn stayed in his grasp instead of teleporting back to Riku.

With a roar, Link charged at Ghirahim, relishing the look of shock on the demon's face at the sight of Farore's chosen hero charging at him with the Master Sword _and _a Keyblade. Link's two swords beat at Ghirahim's guard, soon knocking them out of his grip, and then he pummeled Ghirahim with a ceaseless barrage of Light-based sword strikes. A cross-slash knocked Ghirahim over, a Strike Raid to the head stunned him to keep him from getting up, and then Link made a leaping downward stab with the Master Sword that pierced all the way through Ghirahim's core crystal, nailing him to the ground.

(MUSIC END)

"C… Can't be…" Ghirahim gasped out weakly, his body beginning to break apart. "I still… haven't…"

He tried to reach a clawed hand up at Link, but his arm disintegrated into countless crystalline shards, the rest of him soon following. The thousands of bronze glass-like shards then disintegrated further into dust which blew away on the wind. The surrounding barrier came undone, as Link pulled his sword out of the ground and Riku recalled his Keyblade.

Riku cast a quick Cure spell on himself and Twilight-Link, then the two got moving.

**-****_Break_****-**

Kairi jumped back to dodge a strike from the mysterious 13th member of the Seekers – a petite female opponent, identity hidden by her black coat, and somehow wielding a Kingdom Key. Lea moved in to block her next attack, only to be forced to leap away to dodge Saïx.

"Axel! Kairi!"

The two Guardians turned to see Sora rushing in, firing off a wave of Light bolts to force the smaller enemy back.

"They have a Keyblade wielder?" Sora asked. "And it's _my_ Keyblade? I know that Keyblades can exist in more than one place at a time, like how Mickey & Yen-Sid can both wield Star Seeker, or Fate & Alicia can both use Sign of Innocence, but… Did they… Did they somehow get a Roxas from the past?"

"No" Kairi replied. "Whoever this is, it's a girl."

Sora's eyes widened. 'A girl…' He looked closer. 'It… It's _her_…'

As Xemnas vanished, Saïx and the Mystery Seeker charged together, the latter form-shifting her Keyblade into a replica of Saïx's lunar claymore. She released little shockwaves of power with every swing, pushing Kairi back, until Kairi nailed her with a Strike Raid and went on the offensive. Meanwhile, Lea and Sora double-teamed Saïx, whose strength and aggression meant the two of them were just enough to break even with him. Sora sent him flying with an Aerora spell, but then the Mystery Seeker came at him, only to be intercepted by Lea.

Sora & Kairi dodged the blue energy waves Saïx's weapon swings sent at them, working together trying to break through his guard. Nearby, Lea managed to stun the Mystery Seeker with a flash-bang fire spell, then joined the assault on Saïx. However, the blue-haired Seeker began rapidly charging power, lunar energy pouring into him, making his hair lengthen and spike out, his eyes changing. The trio's attacks were repelled by a barrier of Darkness as their enemy's power climbed and climbed.

Surging with lunar power, Saïx slammed his glowing claymore to the ground, releasing tearing blue shockwaves that knocked Sora & Kairi back, stunned, and then charged at them.

"Stop it, Isa!"

Lea put himself in Saïx's path, but the blue-haired Seeker's ensuing blow had so much force behind it, that even blocking it brought Lea to his knees. As Saïx loomed over the panting Lea, his eyes glowing yellow, consciousness suppressed, Xemnas re-emerged from a Dark Corridor behind him.

"There was I time when I trusted you to deal with traitors" Xemnas said, strolling towards Lea. "And now, your betrayal outstrips them all. What final words do you have for your superior?"

Lea grinned. "Well, lemme think about it. First, it was only _half_ of me that was playin' along with your schemes last time around. And second… how about, 'You were _never_ my superior'?"

"Ever the rogue pawn… Knocked from the board early in the game. Utterly useless and forgotten."

Lea chuckled weakly. "You kidding? Do you know how popular I am? I got _loads_ of people rootin' for me. Sorry, 'boss'. 'Lion-heart Lea' never lets anybody down, and _no-one_ axes Axel. …_Got it memorized_?"

Springing to his feet, he leapt and struck, but Xemnas caught his fiery Keyblade near-effortlessly.

"A Keyblade is only as strong as whoever wields it" the 'Head Nobody' said. "And you…" he gripped Lea's wrist and twisted, making him lose his grip, then tossed the 'Flame Liberator' away. "…are not strong enough to stand against _me_."

He then shoved Lea back, and conjured dozens of crimson energy bolts in a darkness-wreathed shell all around. The storm of bolts crashed into Lea from every direction, bringing him to his knees, then ignited a red 'ethereal blade' and strolled closer.

"Our plans have been dashed by you far more times than I care to count" he growled. "Now, it ends. My darkness will snuff out your flames, and extinguish your pitiful light!"

He thrusted his blade at Lea's chest… and it was stopped by a small gloved hand gripping the energy blade.

"We need him alive" the little Mystery Seeker said emotionlessly. "You know that."

"We only need his Heart to forge the key. We do not need his soul. Oh…" he extinguished his energy blade. "But that's right. You were 'friends'. Then… _you_ take his life."

The little figure stood before the kneeling Axel, Keyblade in hand, as he looked up at her with defiance and confusion.

"Who… _are_ you…?" he whispered.

Pointing her blade at him, the Mystery Seeker trembled lightly, hesitating, but then seemed to affirm herself. …But then Sora walked in, pushing her blade aside as he stood in her way.

"Don't do this" he said softly.

Gasping, the Mystery Seeker went on the attack, pounding away at Sora's guard, even as he made no effort to fight back. She cried out with every attack, putting all her strength in, but Sora stood his ground, looking at her with empathy.

"It's all right!" he told her. "You don't have to do this! You can stop now!" And then, Roxas' voice spoke with his:

"It's okay… _Xion_."

In an instant, a mote of Light was seen zipping from within Sora's chest and into his opponent's, a Heart returning to where it belonged. He saw as the golden-yellow of the hooded Xion's eyes turned blue, an expression of horror and grief coming to her face as tears started falling.

"S… So…ra…?"

Her Keyblade fell to the ground with a clatter, and as he carefully hugged her, she latched onto him and started sobbing.

"_Useless puppet…_"

Xemnas' snarling voice was immediately followed by a kick to the back of Xion's head that slammed it forward into Sora's, knocking them both senseless. And as they fell, her hood fell away. Xemnas stalked toward her, ethereal blade forming. Lea gasped as memories poured into his head, seeing her face, remembering promises, remembering _everything_…

"Xi…"

'_I'll always be there to bring you back!_'

'_You, me, & Roxas… We're best friends. Got it memorized?_'

"_Xion!-!_"

With a roar, Lea re-summoned his Keyblade and leapt at Xemnas, only to be blindsided by Saïx, a glowing claymore strike slamming him into the ground hard enough to make the battlefield's earthen walls rumble.

"Wait your turn, _traitor_…" Xemnas growled, raising his blade to kill the downed Xion…

A point of Light shot up out of Sora's chest and up into the sky. A second later, a dazzling pillar of light shot down from the heavens, and Xemnas barely leapt away to dodge it as it crashed down right where he'd been standing. As the dust swirled, slowly settling, a Curaga spell rang out from within, enveloping Sora, Kairi, Lea, & Xion in restorative magic.

(MUSIC: _Kingdom Hearts 2.5 _– "The Other Promise")

"_Get. Away. From my __**friends**__!_"

Xemnas' eyes widened. "It cannot be…"

With a swing of Oblivion & Oathkeeper, the dust was blown away, revealing Roxas brimming with power, a shimmering white aura of Light clinging to him.

"This is impossible" Xemnas said. "Where did you get a vessel?"

"Same as you" Roxas replied.

"How so?"

"Most of the current Organization's members traveled here from the past as Hearts. And you had empty Replicas waiting – one for each of them. I owe my return to many – some of them familiar to you."

"…Ansem the Wise and Zexion…"

"And Vexen, and Demyx… Even Saïx helped, before Master Xehanort's essence completely overtook him." Roxas grinned. "It seems you're not as good at winning people over as you thought."

Xemnas frowned. "I see…"

"There was one last thing I needed in order for me to be whole again." Sora came up beside Lea, and Kairi beside Xion. "A connection. Sora helped me find my way back here… to my _friends_."

Sora and Kairi summoned their Keyblades, and Lea & Xion followed suit. Sora charged and leapt, but Xemnas caught his blow and flung him away. Lea, Roxas, & Xion moved in next, Lea keeping Saïx at bay while the two younger members closed in on Xemnas. They split up and attacked from both sides, but Xemnas merely conjured another energy blade from his other hand and blocked both strikes, using a surge of strength to blast them back.

Then Kairi was there, a leaping strike hitting Xemnas' guarding ethereal blades hard enough to dispel them. He quickly re-summoned them, giving ground in the face of her ferocious assault. Xemnas then ensnared Kairi with thorny chains of Nothingness, doing the same to Sora when he tried to help her. With the duo caught in Void Prisons, Xemnas returned to Saïx's side, staring down Roxas, Lea, & Xion.

(MUSIC: _Kingdom Hearts III _– [Sora's Theme / Xion's Theme / The Other Promise mashup])

"Time to clear these useless pawns from the board…" Xemnas said.

He and Saïx charged, the latter going for Roxas. Xemnas ducked under a swing of Lea's Keyblade and went to stab at him, only for his thrusting ethereal blade to be knocked aside by Xion's Keyblade. Xion landed a few more blows before Xemnas leapt back, the 'Head Nobody' flinging explosive orbs of crackling Void energy. The two Key-bearers evaded, Lea firing a couple Fira shots at Xemnas while Xion fired a series of Light pillars that shot up from the ground in a wave, the last one catching Xemnas in a glancing hit.

Roxas and Saïx exchanged blows with furious intensity, Keyblades and claymore clashing. Jumping back, Roxas slammed his Keyblades down, releasing twin waves of Light shooting up from the ground that knocked Saïx into the air, leaving him helpless to the follow-up as Roxas leapt up and bombarded him with Keyblade strikes. Saïx was left to collapse to the ground, stunned.

With Saïx out of commission for a moment, Roxas went to join his friends against Xemnas. He came in just when Xemnas was about to land a hit on Xion, blocking the Seeker's ethereal blade with Oathkeeper while slamming Oblivion into his side. As Xemnas staggered, Lea and Xion blasted him with twin bursts of light, keeping him stunned.

"Get what's ours!" Lea cried as he, Roxas, & Xion rushed at Xemnas and struck. As they landed from their leaping strikes, a mote of light emerged from Xemnas' body and split into three, each light curling through the air and flying to one of the three heroes, taking the form of a shimmering 'χ' floating at their chests.

"Is this… the sigil?" Xion murmured.

"Yeah" Lea replied. "That's the mark Xemnas gave us. It's what connected us from the start. It's the… foundation… of the bond we share."

"The mark will disappear along with Xemnas," Roxas said as the villain in question leapt back to beside Saïx, "and that's fine. I just wanted to reclaim it for myself. It's how our bond came to be."

"This… This is the connection we needed" Xion said.

The Void Prisons came undone, freeing Sora & Kairi, and Xion & Lea promptly used Cure spells to get them back on their feet.

"I will scatter your ashes to the winds…" Xemnas growled.

He flash-stepped behind Kairi and grabbed her by the wrist, but her months of training under Aqua and with the rest of Sigma Team had given her better reaction time and ability to think under pressure. With her free hand, she threw her Keyblade forward in a Strike Raid toward Sora, and used Reverse-Recall to warp herself to it. Xemnas was pulled along for the ride, and Sora smacked his arm hard with his Keyblade, forcing him to release Kairi. Seething with fury and clutching his injured wrist, Xemnas poured a 'boost' of Dark power into Saïx, then retreated through a Dark Corridor. Three more Lunar Claymores appeared, the four weapons orbiting Saïx as he surged with blue & black energy.

"Lea, Kairi," Sora said, "catch your breath and heal up. Roxas, Xion, & I will take care of Saïx now."

Sora, Roxas, & Xion spread out to attack Saïx from different angles, firing blasts of Light magic at him; Sora's & Roxas' were deflected by the massive weapons floating around Saïx, but Xion's got through, making him stagger and leaving him briefly open. Roxas rushed in, landing several blows before a swing of Saïx's weapons knocked him away.

Saïx started charging forward, his weapons constantly beating the ground around him like a drum, releasing shockwaves of dark power. The three heroes tried to keep their distance as he rushed at them, firing magic blasts that barely did anything. When Saïx finally slowed down, Sora closed in and pummeled him with Keyblade strikes, Xion joining in after a moment. With burst of power he flung them away, sending tearing waves through the earth at Xion like giant claws scoring the ground.

Roxas rushed in, dodging the slicing waves Saïx sent at him and assailing the Nobody with Keyblade strikes and 'spears' of Light. The 'Lunar Berserker' made a spinning slash that knocked Roxas away, but Sora & Xion were right back in to keep the pressure on, beating him with a double 'Ars Arcanum' combo followed up by a twin Strike Raid from Roxas.

With a roar, Saïx started hurling his weapons in pseudo Strike Raids, wreathed in black & purple energy, while also charging around swinging his blades and loosing shockwaves. Roxas started throwing his own Keyblades in Strike Raids, alternating, timing them to smack away Saïx's. This gave Sora & Xion an opening to blast Saïx with a dual Ragnarok magic-bolt barrage, and then Roxas closed in with his Keyblades Strike-Raid spinning around himself in a combined offensive/defensive technique, slashing across Saïx. He, Sora, & Xion then leapt high above Saïx, and as Sora formed a pair of Rasengan, his two comrades melded Light power into them, leaving them glowing golden. Roxas then gave Sora a boost downward, and Sora slammed his Light Release Rasenrengan attack down into Saïx with enough force to crater the ground.

Groaning weakly, Saïx tried and failed to stand, his body already beginning to waver. Lea ran over, looking down at him.

"Why… so sad?" Saïx asked in a weak, teasing voice.

Lea growled, clearly hurt. "You let them reduce you to _this_?!"

"I thought… you outgrew the marks under your eyes. You look… like you need them…"

"…Stop it. The whole act. …I thought this was all for _her_."

"…At first. I sacrificed everything to try and track her down. You're the one who went off and made other friends – left both her and me in the dust. It infuriated me how you just exited our lives." He groaned, doubling over. "I lost… all sense of purpose…"

Lea knelt down beside him. "I didn't forget you."

"Yes… I know. You wouldn't do that. But… I was jealous."

"…You admit it."

"Well, if I make it back… you won't get it out of me a second time."

He collapsed, his body quickly breaking apart into wisps of Darkness.

"See you later… Isa" Lea murmured.

"…Same to you… Lea…"

With one last flare of darkness, Saïx vanished. Lea got to his feet, turning to face Sora & Kairi.

"You two had better keep moving" he told them. "We'll catch up."

Sora nodded, he & Kairi running off.

"All right…" Lea murmured. "What now?"

Roxas came up to him, and the two smiled at each other. Then, with the fight finally over for now, Xion broke down sobbing, all the built-up pain and fear and regret spilling out. Roxas immediately ran over, hugging her close, and Lea joined in a second later, all three of them crying in each other's arms.

**-****_Break_****-**

"Man, this place is depressing…" Pinkie Pie remarked.

"It's a giant graveyard" Trixie replied. "What did you expect?"

"I'm wonderin' if this place was always so barren," Applejack pondered, "or if the Keyblade War reduced it to this…"

Twilight Sparkle sighed softly, thinking of what this place must have looked like at the height of the Great War so long ago – thousands of Keyblade-wielders, fighting and killing each other… Speaking of which, she conjured her brand-new Keyblade in her telekinetic grip, looking it over. "Spellbinder", a predominantly blue Keyblade with magical and astrological themes & markings, a little green spellbook for a keychain… She could feel the magical power that filled the weapon, melded perfectly with her own magic, like an extension of herself.

'…Maybe I could ask Master Yen-Sid if it'd be possible to change a Keyblade's color,' she thought, 'add a little purple or magenta…'

Suddenly, a Dark Corridor opened in the seven ponies' path, and from it emerged a black-coated equine figure. The coat's hood was telekinetically lowered, revealing Checker Monarch glaring at them with cold intensity and contempt.

"So," she said, "the spirits of the departed saw fit to bestow Magic's bearer with a Keyblade… That makes you a priority target. Plus, the Elements of Harmony have been deemed a significant threat, one that I must neutralize." She looked at Trixie with a fanged grin, eyes gleaming with glee at the thought of murder. "And of course, there's the _main_ reason I signed up: to teach my weak little cousin her place, and make her _beg_ for death!"

(MUSIC: _Kingdom Hearts 2.5 HD _– "The 13th Reflection")

The seven heroines got ready, Twilight's Keyblade thrumming with readied magic and Trixie's body crackling with Lightning Release Armor. The equine Seeker cast a barrage of Darkness-type _Sagitta Magica_, forcing the Bearers & Trixie to scatter. Conjuring a black & silver spear, Checker went for Rainbow Dash, and the blue pegasus narrowly twisted out of the way of a stabbing thrust. Dash went for a lightning-infused hoof-punch at Checker's face, only to be stopped by a shimmering purple barrier spell, translucent to show the evil unicorn's smug smirk.

Rarity fired a few rock spears at Checker, failing to break through the evil mare's barrier spell but keeping her distracted as Twilight closed in. Firmly grasping her new Keyblade in her telekinetic hold, Twilight managed to land a handful of blows with Spellbinder, followed by blasting Checker with a Blizzara spell. Checker growled and blasted Twilight back with a Dark Thunder spell, and was then in turn sent tumbling by an electrified tackle from Trixie.

Fluttershy cast Wind Release: Vacuum Wave through her wings, flapping them to fire off cutting waves of wind at Checker. The evil mare conjured a silver shield that blocked the wind-blades, though not without getting deep gouges carved into it, and she then threw the shield at Applejack, who simply bucked it right back with twice the power; eyes widening, Checker ducked, barely avoiding getting her head smashed. Pinkie pulled out her party cannon, switched it to "serious mode" and fired a blast of magical 'shrapnel' shaped like tiny hearts, stars, balloons, & confetti. Checker protected herself with another barrier spell, but Pinkie somehow 'jumped' to right beside her and hoofed/punched her in the face.

Checker knocked Pinkie away with a hammer of telekinetic force, then conjured & launched a few metal javelins at her. Twilight protected Pinkie with a Reflect spell, then closed in on Checker, wielding her Spellbinder in one forehoof and forming a small Round Shield on the other. Twilight & Checker dueled with Keyblade and spear, clanging metal echoing as they dodged and shielded and parried. Twilight managed to land a couple blows, then leapt back to avoid Checker's reprisal.

Trixie and Checker fired bolts of magic at each other, most of them crashing against each other's shield spells, a few getting through. Checker suddenly teleported in close, aiming to stab Trixie with her spear, only to be thwarted by Rarity's crystalline barrier spell. Growling at the interruption, she fired a few conjured javelins at the fighting fashionista, but Rainbow Dash flitted in and lifted Rarity out of the way. Trying to track her targets, Checker was hit by a flying tackle from Fluttershy that knocked her into a blow from Applejack that rattled her bones.

Snarling and swearing at all the interruptions, starting to lose hold of her temper, Checker started flinging blasts of dark- and lightning-magic at the heroines. The seven scattered to dodge and evade, but soon started taking advantage of gaps and openings, moving in and starting to land hits. Checker Monarch obviously wasn't used to fighting 7-on-1 against opponents who were all in her league. Slowly but surely, the villain was coming unhinged, her expression more enraged.

"Why won't any of you die?!"

"Give it up, Checker" Trixie said. "You can't beat all of us."

Checker glared hatefully at her cousin. "You're _nothing_ without your 'friends'. The same simpering weakling you always were, pretending to be brave just because you've got other ponies to hide behind!"

"I'm not afraid of you anymore. And I'm not weak anymore, either. Not just because of all the training I've gone through, but because I'm not alone anymore! My friends are my power!"

The seven heroines charged, dodging Checker's magic blasts and closing in to attack together. They didn't give her room to breathe, keeping the pressure on, pushing her back. Getting increasingly banged up and increasingly enraged, Checker tried flinging magic in all directions, but couldn't keep up. Trixie ducked under a swing of Checker's spear, allowing Rainbow Dash to smash into Checker from above, leaving her too stunned to avoid a barrage of slicing diamond-shaped magic blasts from Rarity, which sent her stumbling back into a party-cannon blast from Pinkie, and then she was caught in a whirlwind from Fluttershy that hoisted her up into a powerful magic blast from Twilight.

Checker let out a screaming roar of fury, a black & purple aura surging around her like a blazing flame, floating up into the air and somehow staying there. With her forehooves held up over her head, a massive orb of Darkness and crackling lightning formed and began to grow, quickly becoming bigger than her.

"_THAT'S IT!-!_" she roared. "_EVERYONE DIES!-!-!_"

Despite being briefly stunned by how much power Checker was building up (likely enough to reduce most of the Keyblade Graveyard to a smoldering glassed crater), the six Element-Bearers shook off their shock and gathered together, calling upon the Elements of Harmony. The six heroines and their lone opponent finished charging their attacks at the same time, a rainbow beam of energy 'catching' the orb of darkness. The two attacks shoved against each other, and soon the power of the Harmony Elements overcame Checker's attack, engulfing the evil mare in a burst of rainbow light.

(MUSIC END)

The seven young mares spread out, watching and waiting as the dust slowly began to settle. Suddenly, a telekinetic wave launched five of them away, leaving just Twilight & Trixie. Then, several gleaming spears of black metal shot down all around the area, projecting a series of barriers to form a 'fence' trapping Twilight's other friends out.

As the dust finally settled, Checker stood. Her black coat was in tatters, she was bleeding and burnt in more than one place, and most of her tail's fur had been burned away. And yet, she looked oddly calm – almost tranquil.

"You know…" she said. "With the utter humiliation, the loss of my tail… I thought I'd be angrier. …Or maybe I'm just so _unbelievably_ enraged that I've come full-circle." She shrugged. "Oh, well. Either way, it's time to end this…"

(MUSIC: _Kingdom Hearts 1.5 _OST – "Destiny's Force")

Her irises glowed yellow as she conjured a short barbed spear and a spike-rimmed shield of black & silver metal, held close in her telekinetic grip. Twilight readied her Keyblade, and Trixie rekindled her Lightning-Release Armor. Checker leapt forward at them, her shield blocking magic blasts from the young alicorn as she rapidly closed in. Trixie ducked under a swing of her evil cousin's shield and struck with an electrified forehoof/punch to the chest that knocked her back a little, leaving an opening for Twilight to land a few Keyblade blows, the Light-imbued attacks dealing metaphysical damage to the wielder of Darkness.

Checker cast a spherical field of dark lightning magic around herself, a combination offense/defense that zapped Twilight & Trixie and flung them back. The two mares circled around, looking for an opening, which was made harder by Checker flinging attack spells at them to disrupt their focus. Twilight fired a wave of rainbow-colored magic bolts from her Keyblade, the 'Prism Rain' battering at Checker's electro-barrier, disrupting it a little. Trixie amped up her Lightning Armor, adjusting the current to try and nullify or weaken the effect of Checker's, and charged in. She gritted her teeth as she pushed through the numbing shocks, savoring the look of shock on Checker's face before her hoof met it.

Even as she was sent reeling by Trixie's blow, Checker swung her barbed spear at the other mare, who cried out as a small gash was cut across her side. Twilight moved in, casting Cura on Trixie and landing a few more hits on Checker with her Spellbinder. She twisted out of the way of a stabbing thrust of Checker's spear, smacking the evil mare with a focused concussive blast of telekinetic magic, and Trixie got back in the fray, blasting Checker with Light-type _Sagitta Magica_ and then landing a hoof-punch imbued with an absorbed/stored _S.M._, sending Checker tumbling.

Springing to her hooves, Checker was enveloped in a black aura, eyes glowing with Dark power. A few more bladed lances were conjured floating around her, and she rushed at the two heroines, her weapons spinning and slashing through the air. Twilight and Trixie were hard-pressed to dodge the deadly whirling blades and spears, though they did their best to take advantage of what openings they could get to hit Checker with magic attacks. Trixie charged and fired a wave of Lightning-type _Sagitta Magica_, disrupting Checker's hold on some of her lances, and Twilight warped in and managed to land a few blows despite Checker's deadly defense. Then, she managed to pull off a Firaza spell that melted Checker's conjured lances, forcing her to discard them.

Checker charged lightning magic into her barbed spear and spiked shield, focusing on Trixie. The blue unicorn gave ground, rapidly forming & dispelling shield-spells to block her mad cousin's strikes, and lashing out with punishing melee blows and magic bolts whenever she got the opening. Trixie hissed in pain as a glancing swing of Checker's shield cut a gash across her right cheek, then twisted around a spear stabbed at her chest and hit Checker across the face with a spinning backhand (er, backhoof). Twilight then came in and knocked Checker's spear out of her grip, leaving her open for a mighty blow from Trixie.

Snarling, Checker lunged at Twilight while conjuring metal javelins, knocking Twilight's Keyblade away with one and then going to impale her. She loomed over the alicorn, a savage fanged grin on her face as she brought one of her javelins high, set to stab it through Twilight's skull. But just as Twilight's eyes widened at the prospect of being mortally wounded, Trixie grabbed Checker's spear and stabbed Checker in the back with it. Then, she poured as much Lightning magic as she could into her foe, channeling it through the metal weapon and into Checker's body. Checker's body jerked and twitched, her mouth open in a silent scream, smoke drifting from her fur as she knew pain – light – burning – darkness – _nothing_.

(MUSIC END)

Checker Monarch collapsed to the ground, limp and bleeding from the eyes & ears. The dark barrier around the area came undone, allowing Twilight's friends to rejoin her & Trixie. Trixie panted for breath, adrenaline still coursing through her. Recalling her Keyblade, Twilight ran a scanning spell on their enemy, and then dispelled her weapon.

"…She's dead" she said. "That last electric attack traveled up her spine and basically _cooked_ her brain."

"I… I can't believe it…" Trixie muttered. "On one hoof, she's… she's finally gone. She can't hurt me anymore! But… But on the other hoof, I…"

Applejack put a hoof on Trixie's shoulder. "It's alright, hun" she said. "You did what ya had to. She wasn't gonna be stopped by anythin' less."

"I hate the thought of k-killing," Fluttershy spoke up, "but… Checker is… _was_ physically incapable of feeling empathy or love or friendship, or from being guilty or regretting anything she did. She wasn't someone who could be rehabilitated. And with her sadism, her skill at manipulating ponies… It was either this, or being locked up in prison for the rest of her life, and I'm not so sure she wouldn't have been able to break free if it was the latter. …This was the only option available to us."

"I can't help but wonder if the Elements of Harmony could've maybe, I dunno, rewrote her brain to give her empathy" Rainbow Dash pondered. "Of course, no guarantee that woulda stopped her being evil."

"The Elements _did_ blast her," Pinkie replied, "and she didn't stop tryin' to kill us."

Rarity sighed. "Alright, darlings. Let's patch ourselves up and then keep moving to help the others."

**-****_Break_****-**

As Aqua gave ground in the face of Terra-Xehanort's attacks, Vanitas' blow sent Ventus tumbling back to beside her. The two duos stared each other down, but then Sora arrived on the scene.

(MUSIC: _Kingdom Hearts III _– "Enter the Darkness")

"Ah, the man of the hour is here" Vanitas said. "Now the party can _really_ get started."

He & Terra-Xehanort fired a sizable volley of Darkness bolts at the three heroes, who defended with Reflect spells and rushed in to fight – Aqua against Terra-Xehanort, and Sora & Ven against Vanitas. Terra-Xehanort leapt over a Strike Raid from Aqua, and attempted to bring his blade down on her head, only for the young Keyblade Mistress to teleport herself to her blade. The two flew into a fast-paced duel, the sound of Keyblade striking Keyblade echoing out over and over.

Sora and Vanitas locked blades, each one trying and failing to overpower the other, and Ven came in to help his friend, forcing Vanitas to backflip away to avoid a hit to the side. Ventus swung his Wayward Wind repeatedly, each swing releasing a blade of wind magic that sliced through the air. Vanitas ducked and swerved to dodge as he closed in on his 'other half', starting to beat Ventus back with an aggressive assault, but left himself open to a quick combination of blows from Sora. Shaking off the pain of being struck by a Light-oriented Keyblade, Vanitas vanished underground while leaving an afterimage behind, throwing Sora off just long enough to let him pop up behind Sora and lash out with a kick to the head, though Sora reacted in time to shift so that the kick hit his upper back instead.

Aqua conjured and fired a barrage of water bullets at Terra-Xehanort, who used his Keyblade to block or deflect most of them, though a few got through. While he was briefly staggered, she rushed in and landed a rising strike that knocked his/Xehanort's Keyblade out of his grasp… and, before he could recall it, Vanitas – being another 'vessel' for Xehanort's power – called it to him. Now, the Unversed Lord grinned savagely beneath his helmet as he dual-wielded Void Gear and No Name, attacking Sora & Ventus with renewed ferocity. Aqua went to intervene, only for Terra-Xehanort to conjure a dark barrier keeping her and himself from interfering, simply crossing his arms and watching the 'show' with a calm smirk.

As Sora & Ventus attacked together, Vanitas used his Keyblades to expertly block theirs, dodging and 'dancing'. He crossed his blades and shoved Sora back, off-balance, then landed a couple blows on the youth until Ven pushed him back with an Aero spell. Casting 'Cure' on Sora, Ven got into a close duel with Vanitas, both of them landing a few hits on each other. Vanitas leapt back and fired a wave of Blizzard blasts, and Ventus countered by orbiting a few Fire spells around himself as a shield.

Sora came in from the side, landing a couple hits before Vanitas could react. Vanitas vanished underground again, and when he popped back up it was with several Dark Firaga fireballs that arced up & out like debris from a volcanic eruption. As Ven & Sora scattered to avoid being hit by the plunging fireballs, Vanitas did it again, this time releasing more Dark Firaga balls and leaping up higher, before then coming down with a falling Keyblade strike that brought Sora to his knees even when he blocked it. Ventus came to the rescue, knocking Vanitas back with a wind-imbued Strike Raid.

Vanitas started throwing his Keyblades in alternating Darkness-wreathed Strike Raids, nailing both of his opponents a couple times. Sora charged and fired a wave of Light bolts from his Keyblade, some of them getting past Vanitas' guard while he was midway through prepping another throw and hammering into him, staggering him enough to let Ventus close in and land some more hits. Growling, Vanitas blasted him away with a focused burst of force, but Sora took the opportunity to blast Vanitas with a Light spell and then land a punishing barrage of blows.

A purple aura surged around Vanitas as he called upon the numerous 'dead' Keyblades littering the boundaries of the battlefield, dozens of centuries-old blades with faded colors flying in at his command, orbiting around him in rings at different angles. Vanitas started charging the Keyblades with Fire, Blizzard, Thunder, or Darkness magic and launching them at Sora & Ventus. The two Guardians of Light did the best they could to block and dodge the onslaught, healing themselves and each other whenever they took hits, and soon started firing magic at Vanitas whenever they got the chance. Finally, Vanitas made all of the old Keyblades shoot out in all directions in a wave of deadly shrapnel. Sora & Ven couldn't completely avoid the barrage, left staggering from the hits.

Vanitas dropped to the ground and rushed at Sora, beating at Sora's guard until finally he knocked the Kingdom Key out of Sora's hands. But then, Ventus caught it, wielding it and Wayward Wind together. He closed in on Vanitas, the two of them flying into a hectic dual-wielding duel, Keyblade swings and magic blasts being exchanged. Suddenly, Sora blasted Vanitas in the back with a small handful of Light-type _Sagitta Magica_, and that threw him off enough to let Ven press his attack. Ventus began pummeling Vanitas with both Keyblades, each strike releasing a flash of light, knocking Vanitas back but not letting him escape. Finally, Ven struck with a blow to the side of Vanitas' helmet and then a cross-slash to the chest.

(MUSIC END)

As Ven tossed the Kingdom Key back to Sora, Vanitas wobbled on his feet weakly, Void Gear and No Name clattering to the ground, his body letting out wisps of black. With a cracking sound, half of his helmet/mask crumbled away, revealing a face identical to Sora's except with yellow eyes and pitch-black hair. Seeing the look on Sora's face, he grinned.

"I'm the piece of Ventus that was taken away," he said, "and you're the piece he needed to be whole again. So, why shouldn't you and I look exactly the same? You define me, Sora, the same way Ventus does. The three of us are _brothers_, and together we make a greater whole."

Sora frowned. "Then why _won't_ you stand by our side? Instead of with Darkness?"

"Because I _am_ Darkness. And I _do_ stand by your side. I'm the shadow that you two cast. How much closer could I be?"

"But we didn't _ask_ for this" Ventus said. "To be sifted apart, nice and neat. We should be free to choose. Not just light or darkness. _We_ decide who & what we are."

Vanitas sighed. "But… Ventus. I _did_ decide who I am. You see?"

Ventus frowned. "And what you choose, what you _are_, is Darkness?"

Vanitas nodded, beginning to come apart. "Yes. What I am is Darkness."

The two stared at each other, and then Ventus sighed and bowed his head. "Okay then. You've made your choice."

Vanitas looked up at the sky, a small smile on his face, and then he came apart into motes of Darkness that drifted away and winked out.

(MUSIC: _Kingdom Hearts III _– [Rage Awakened {KH3 Version}])

"Well then," Terra-Xehanort said, recalling his Keyblade and dropping his barrier, "now that _that's_ out of the way…"

He struck the ground with his Keyblade, releasing tearing spikes of earth surging toward the three heroes. The trio leapt to dodge, Aqua tossing her Stormfall in an ice-imbued Strike Raid that Terra-Xehanort batted aside. A 'Ragnarok' barrage of Light bolts from Sora was similarly ineffective, deflected by the villain's dark barrier spell, but Ventus used that moment of distraction to come in low and land a clean hit, a reverse-grip slash from Wayward Wind making Terra-Xehanort stumble and grunt in pain. Terra-Xehanort's Heartless Guardian appeared, grabbing Ventus in one of its huge hands and hurling the boy away.

Sora closed in, matching blades with Terra-Xehanort and landing some hits, pushing him back briefly before the villain rallied and overpowered him. Aqua came to the rescue, a _Suiton: Suikōdan _blasting Terra-Xehanort back, and she & Ven double-teamed Terra-Xehanort, Ven keeping the Heartless Guardian back while Aqua focused on their human opponent. Terra-Xehanort made a wide spinning strike that knocked Aqua & Ven back, but Sora was immediately there to keep the pressure on, a series of Firaga spells battering at Terra-Xehanort's defenses, one of them getting through and blasting him back.

Terra-Xehanort fired a sweeping wave of Blizzara blasts that forced Sora back, while his Dark Guardian grabbed Ventus and threw him at the charging Aqua ("Damnit, stop tossing me!"). He began zipping back & forth in Sonic Blade strikes aimed to cut the three heroes apart, but Sora followed suit, Sonic Blade hits clashing repeatedly as the young hero matched his foe's movements and canceled them out. Frustrated, Terra-Xehanort focused his magic into the ground beneath their feet, making it roll and buckle, knocking the three heroes off-balance. He went at Sora, landing a couple hits before a wave of slicing wind from Ven pushed him back.

As Ventus cast a Cure spell on Sora, Aqua used a Reverse Recall jump to get in close quickly and struck with a combination of blows, finishing with a rising magic blast that knocked Terra-Xehanort airborne. She then blasted him with a Prism Rain barrage, but had to break off her next planned attack when his Heartless Guardian took a swing at her. Sora & Ven dashed in as soon as Terra-Xehanort was back on the ground, and he was hard-pressed to fend off both of them at once, taking a few hits when the boys managed to get around his guard.

Terra-Xehanort surged with dark power that he also poured into his Heartless Guardian, and Darkness covered the ground as the three heroes felt a force trying to pull them towards their enemy. The Guardian's claws swiped and swung, releasing tearing waves of dark lightning along the ground, along with magic blasts of various elements fired from Terra-Xehanort's Keyblade. They fought against the pull and did their best to shield against the various attacks, though all of them took a few hits. Sora charged and fired a wave of Ragnarok bolts at the Heartless Guardian, which shuddered and retreated into Terra-Xehanort's shadow.

Ventus used a burst of wind magic to propel himself at Terra-Xehanort, giving his ensuing strike enough extra momentum that blocking it made the villain stagger. Aqua and Sora moved in next, they & Ven overwhelming Terra-Xehanort's defense and not giving him room to attack. The villain was about to try something else, but then a split-second spark of resistance from Terra deep inside made him lock up for an instant, his concentration on building magic disrupted. Sora, Ventus, & Aqua filled their blades with Light power and struck as one, three slash-shaped flashes of light crossing Terra-Xehanort's form.

(MUSIC END)

The heroes leapt back as a pillar of darkness ejected from their foe's body. With a thud, Terra-Xehanort collapsed, wavering wisps of Darkness steaming off him. Aqua and Ven hurried over to his side, helping him up to a kneeling position.

"Aqua… Ven…" Terra spoke weakly. He then grabbed at his head, groaning in pain. "G… Get back… I-I'm not me! H-He's still…!"

"Terra, please!" "Come back to us!"

"Terra!" Sora cried out. "Your friends are here! Pull it together!"

Terra's arms went limp, and he began to chuckle with a voice not his own.

"Nice try…" Terra-Xehanort said mockingly.

Suddenly, chains of Darkness shot out from him, wrapping around Ven, Aqua, & Sora, hoisting them high into the air. They struggled, desperately trying to break free.

"You'll never be able to break these chains" Terra-Xehanort said. "They're a manifestation of Terra's bond with you Light-wielders, twisted by the Darkness. Now, I'll use my host's own bonds to _kill those precious to him!_"eHe began

He began moving his arms around like a conductor, making his chains toss Aqua & Ven around as Sora watched helplessly. Soon, the g-forces and Dark power had rendered both of them unconscious, hanging limp in the chains, high above the ground. With an evil smirk, he lifted them even higher, ignoring Sora's feeble attempts to fight back.

"…Terra…" Ven whispered weakly. "I kept my… promise…"

Then, the two Keybladers began to fall…

(MUSIC: _Kingdom Hearts BBS _– "Terra's Theme")

Suddenly, Xehanort's demonic guardian-Heartless shot up out of Terra-Xehanort's shadow, flew forward, and caught Ven & Aqua, lowering them safely. Glaring hatefully at Terra-Xehanort, the Guardian grabbed the dark chains in its free hand and crushed them; the entire network of chains broke apart, freeing Sora. As Terra-Xehanort glared in disbelieving fury, the Guardian gently set Aqua & Ven down.

"How?!" Terra-Xehanort screamed. "How are you free?! You fell to the Dark-"

In an instant, the Guardian shadow-ported to directly behind him, grabbing his head in one hand. With its other hand, it reached up and ripped the bandages off its mouth. The humanoid Heartless gasped and coughed, trying to remember how to speak.

"**O**n**e **d**a**y… **I**… w**i**l**l**… s**e**t… **t**h**i**s… **r**ight…" It held Xehanort forward. "One d**ay**… I will **se**t… this right… I **wi**ll re**tu**rn to this land…" At long last, Terra's face appeared over his Heartless' "and protect… my _friends_!"

The heart-shaped hole in Terra's Heartless' chest began to glow with Light. Thinking fast, Sora conjured his Keyblade, gathering Light at its tip.

"Terra! _Now!_"

Sora fired a blinding beam of Light, striking Terra-Xehanort from behind, leaving the possessed body wreathed in Light & Darkness. Terra's Heartless floated back, and then the light in his chest flared as Terra's Heart floated out. As the Heartless disintegrated in its wake, the Heart zipped forward and plunged into the enemy's chest. Brilliant light shone forth, darkness being purged, and finally Terra fell to the ground, landing on his feet and looking down at his hands – _his_ hands… He spun around, running over to

"Aqua! Ven!"

As Aqua came to, Terra knelt down by Ventus and gently picked him up. With his free hand, he conjured his Earthshaker Keyblade and cast a Cura spell on the younger boy.

"Terra…" Aqua near-whispered. "Is it you?"

He looked up at her, smiling. "The two of you never stopped lighting my way back.

As Aqua's tears began to fall, Ven came to in Terra's arms.

"…You're here…" he whispered.

"I heard you too, Ven" Terra said softly, a tear rolling down his cheek. "You found me, just like you promised."

Finally together again after nearly 12 years, the three disciples of Eraqus embraced, holding each other close.

"Aqua and Ventus need rest" Sora said. "Terra, look after them."

Looking up, Terra smiled. "Well, look at _you_, Sora! You've grown up! I'm still amazed that the Kingdom Key chose you… I think it's safe to say it made the right choice."

Sora grinned, blushing a bit.

"We'll rest up and then catch up with you" Aqua told him.

As Sora ran off, Ventus hobbled over to where Void Gear lay on the ground. Picking it up and looking it over, he then stabbed it down into the ground – one more grave-marker for another Keyblade-wielder who'd met their end in this desolate place…

**-****_Break_****-**

As Lea, Roxas, & Xion made their way through the labyrinth, intent on catching up with the others, they rounded a corner to find another larger chamber, along with somebody – an ally – waiting just inside.

"Link!" Lea waved with a grin, catching the green-clad hero's attention. "Uh… Which Link are you?"

The Hylian chuckled. "Hero of Twilight; my 'little brother' is somewhere else in this maze. Don't know what _he's _been up to so far, but Riku & I took down Ghirahim. He went on ahead after – wanted to meet up with King Mickey and chase Ansem & Xemnas down."

"We…" Roxas frowned a little "had a run-in with Xemnas already. He got away, though. We took care of Saïx, at least."

Fi's voice chimed in. "Our allies have also disposed of Xigbar, Dark Riku, Luxord, Larxene, Marluxia, Checker Monarch, & Vanitas, and Terra has reclaimed his body. All who remain are Zant, Alektra, Ganon, Xehanort's three 'prime' incarnations, and Master Xehanort himself."

"So, we're already more than halfway done…" Xion observed.

"But the real bigshots still haven't been dealt with" Lea added with a slight sigh.

"Better get to it, then" Roxas remarked as he walked forward, standing by Link's side, the two hero youths sharing a friendly smile.

Lea & Xion were about to step forward to join them when suddenly, a few black & red pillars dropped from the sky and projected a red barrier between them, blocking Lea & Xion out. Another barrier sprang up over the other exit at the far end of the chamber, trapping Link & Roxas inside. The two drew their weapons, looking around for threats, and soon spotted a tall figure in an elaborate robe-like outfit and a googly-demon helmet, slowly floating down to the center of the battleground.

"Zant…" Twilight-Link growled.

"The so-called 'Hero of Twilight'…" Zant spoke, voice muffled by his helmet. "I've been waiting a long time for this."

"Waiting to die again?"

Zant chuckled. "As I recall, _you_ never managed to kill me. It was 'Princess' Midna who struck me down the first time around. And she's not here right now…"

"But _I_ am!" Roxas said, standing beside Link with Oathkeeper & Oblivion ready. "Axel told me a little about you – Ganondorf's servant, the "Twilight Usurper". You claim to represent the space between Light and Darkness, but all that's really driving you is sadism and lust for power, serving and basically _worshipping_ a force of great evil. Now, it's time for the Light to burn your twisted shadows away!"

"Such bravado…" Zant slowly floated up. "But futile. I will extinguish that light, and Lord Ganon's darkness shall reign eternal!"

(MUSIC: _Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess _– Zant Battle) (Part 1)

A complex magical rune appeared behind Zant, and then Link & Roxas were briefly engulfed in darkness. When they could see again, they & Zant appeared to be in a chamber in Agrabah's Cavern of Wonders. Zant started rapid-firing purple energy bolts at the duo, battering at Link's Hylian Shield and Roxas' Reflect spell. He teleported around a few times, firing attacks from different angles and dodging the arrows and magic attacks the two heroes threw at him. Remembering his first fight against Zant, Link pulled out his Gale Boomerang and tossed it in a wide arc while Roxas – noticing him pulling it out – distracted Zant for a few seconds with a wave of Light bolts. The enchanted boomerang caught Zant from behind, a whirlwind yanking him through the air towards the two heroes, and Roxas started pummeling him with his Keyblades, smacking the evil sorcerer around.

(Music Part 2)

Darkness enveloped them again, this time fading to reveal a dark and foreboding cavern in Olympus' Underworld. Zant extended his magic into some of the surrounding stalactites & stalagmites, making them come to 'life'; some of them thrusted at Link & Roxas, trying to crush or impale them, while others acted as springboards and platforms for Zant as he closed in on the hero duo. As Roxas shattered a couple of incoming stone spears, Zant kicked him in the head, leaving him briefly stunned. Zant went for a follow-up blow, but a Spin Attack from Link releasing a slicing wave of energy that flung him back and chopped away most of the incoming rock spears. Link pressed his attack, landing several blows with the Master Sword.

(Music Part 3)

Another wave of darkness, and this time the three combatants were somehow deep under the sea, in a purple-lit underwater wasteland just outside Ursula's lair. By some magic, they were all able to breathe and move around as if in normal air. Zant conjured multiple orbs of Light and Darkness, each orb then splitting apart into a barrage of bolts of its corresponding 'element'. Roxas did his best to deflect the incoming shots and return fire with his own blasts of Light, while Link fired arrows in-between dodging or shielding. Zant started forming another large orb of Light, but Roxas hit it with a Strike Raid that made it blow up in Zant's face, stunning him. He then rushed in close and landed several more Keyblade strikes, finishing with a rising cross-slash that sent Zant tumbling end over end.

(Music Part 4)

When the next all-encompassing brief darkness faded, Roxas & Link found themselves facing Zant in a small clearing amidst thick, massive trees – the 'Deep Jungle' that Tarzan called home. Zant started conjuring and flinging throwing-knives and 'bombs' of explosive magic. As the two heroes did their best to block and dodge, they returned fire with arrows and attack spells, but Zant was slippery, jumping from limb to limb amongst the trees. Roxas threw his Keyblades in Strike Raids up into the canopy, taking shelter behind Link's shield as his blades sliced through the foliage and limbs. Soon, one took out the limb Zant was currently balanced on while the other clonked him in the back of his helmeted head, sending him tumbling down to the ground. Link ran in and attacked, Zant's defensive magic only partially protecting him from the Master Sword's blows; the last hit broke through and cut a gash across Zant's chest.

(Music Part 5)

Zant sprung to his feet and called upon the darkness again, and now he, Link, & Roxas were inside a large chamber of the ice labyrinth Larxene had conjured in Arendelle. At Zant's command, Darkness-charged ice orbited around him as he floated in the air, formed into spiked balls, crackling spears, and in his hands was a big war-hammer made of ice and wreathed in shadows. He hit one of the spiked ice balls with his hammer, launching it at Link with bone-crushing force. Link raised his shield, but the blocked hit still knocked him off his feet, chunks of ice scattering around him.

A few ice spears were fired at Link, but Roxas smacked them away to protect his ally, flinging Fire spells at Zant. Link got back on his feet, and when Zant smacked another ice ball their way, he blasted it with a bomb arrow. Zant dropped and charged, swinging his ice hammer at the two young heroes. Roxas ducked under a swing and twisted to avoid an ice spear, and Link then parried Zant's next hammer-swing with his shield, the transferred force making Zant stumble backwards, trying not to fall over from the sudden shift of his weapon's weight. Roxas moved in and landed several mighty blows, finishing with a point-blank Light blast that blew Zant away.

(Music Part Final)

As the darkness swirled around them one last time, they were back in the labyrinth in the Keyblade Graveyard. Twitching like a madman (which he kinda was), Zant withdrew a pair of scimitars glowing faintly with Dark power. He teleported forward, and Roxas barely brought his Keyblades up in time to block the sorcerer's blades. Roxas pushed and flung him back, but as Link quickly nocked & fired an arrow, Zant rushed forward while spinning rapidly, blades extended, deflecting Link's arrow and forcing him & Roxas to leap away to avoid being shredded.

Zant started teleporting around and attacking from multiple angles while flailing his swords wildly. Link charged Light power into the Master Sword and swung to release a slicing "sword beam" that managed to nail Zant right as he came out of a teleport, then rushed in to deal a few more blows. Snarling, Zant raised a blade high, only for Roxas to zap it with a Thunder spell that channeled it down into him, leaving him open to a blast of Light from the Key-bearer.

Screeching like a lunatic, Zant started warping around even faster, making chopping strikes and spinning charges. Roxas 'jumped' around in orb-flashes of light, matching Zant's wild movements as best he could and clashing blades with him, but his opponent was so erratic and crazed that there was no real pattern to follow. Link was staying in one place, relying on instinct and reaction time to react to Zant's attempted strikes. Finally, he managed to bash Zant in the armored face with his shield, and then struck the sorcerer's helmet hard enough to knock the mouth-plate off, revealing the crazed snarl on the Twili's bone-white face. The devotee of darkness contorted himself to dodge Link's follow-up thrust and lashed out with punishing kicks, knocking Link for a loop and knocking the Master Sword out of his grip…

…And then, dispelling his Keyblades, Roxas caught the Master Sword and channeled power through it. The divine blade was enveloped in Light, shining in the sunset, as Roxas swung with all his might. The Light-empowered Master Sword slashed down across Zant with a flash, leaving a diagonal 'trail' down his body. Zant began to slump down, his swords falling from his grasp, and with one last disturbed wail he fell face-first to the dusty ground, silent and still.

(MUSIC END)

The barriers came down, the black pillars that had supported them disintegrating. Lea & Xion both cast Cure spells on Link & Roxas as they moved up to join them.

"That guy was _nuts_" Roxas said, still panting lightly.

"No kidding" Lea replied. "One less to worry about, though. C'mon, let's keep movin'."

The quartet started on, leaving Zant's body behind. When they were about halfway across the area, however, there was a rustle of movement and a blur of motion, and Xion's eyes widened as she felt and heard the maddened bloodlust and dark presence directly behind her, the whoosh of a blade being drawn as a zealot's crazed shout began to ring out:

"_For Lord Gano-_"

Link was faster. Drawing his blade and swinging back behind him in one motion, he struck true, separating Zant's head from his shoulders. Zant's headless body toppled over as his helmet – with head still inside – rolled to a stop nearby. Then, head & body began to rapidly break down into motes of Darkness and shadow, drifting away in the wind.

**-****_Break_****-**

At some point during their traverse through the labyrinth, Angelise Misurugi and Luke Skywalker had joined up, instincts on alert as they progressed, cutting down the occasional Heartless.

"I've been sensing a lot of darker energy signatures winking out" Ange remarked.

"Me, too" Luke replied. "Our friends are making good progress; only a few Seekers left at this point."

"…I'm really not looking forward to taking on the big bad, though. His energy is…"

Luke nodded. "He's _deep_ in the Dark Side. I think… I think he may have had some noble or well-intentioned goal, a long time ago, but he's so immersed in the Darkness that he's forgotten why he started down that path in the first place. Now it's just lust for power and a twisted scientific curiosity to potentially end the world just to see what'll happen."

"And all that on top of being as strong as the evil old man _you_ had to deal with."

Luke shook his head. "Stronger. From what I've seen and heard and sensed… Palpatine wouldn't be able to defeat Master Xehanort."

Pondering, Angelise called upon her new Keyblade, examining it in her grasp. A black handle with a silver spike in its pommel, an oddly-designed asymmetrical blue & silver guard, a shaft half blue & half yellow, the 'head' of the Keyblade a large hook with three curved spikes… She could sense its essence, its connection to her Heart; its name was "Astral Blast".

Suddenly, Ange reflexively halted and shot an arm out to make Luke stop as well, a split-second before the Jedi sensed the same dark presence – contempt and roiling rage – that she did. A second later, a Corridor of Darkness opened in front of them, and from it emerged a tall woman in red & black armor beneath an open black coat, a Neoshadow-based prosthetic right arm holding onto the Keyblade 'Total Eclipse'.

"Alektra…" Ange growled, readying her Keyblade; beside her, Luke held his inactive lightsaber, ready to activate it at a moment's notice.

The 'fallen' Awakened looked at Ange with contempt. "So the spirits of the wielders who perished in the Great War thought you worthy of a Keyblade… Given our history, I truly wish I could say they made a mistake, but after seeing you lead the Awakened to 'freedom' I cannot deny that, _objectively_, you are a skilled and charismatic leader and a gifted warrior, despite your pampered upbringing." Her eyes flashed corruption-yellow. "But you defied me. You cost me all of my influence, my power, my control. And worst of all, after everything Embryo did to me, _you_ killed him – you stole my vengeance!"

(MUSIC: _Kingdom Hearts 1.5 OST _– "Shrouding Dark Cloud")

Alektra's body flared with dark power, crimson sparks of psionic energy and black embers of Darkness surging across her body as her left arm's red psi-blade ignited and her Heartless-prosthetic right hand gripped her Keyblade tight.

"You took away my control! You took away my revenge! Now, I'll take your head!"

She swung her right hand to release a wave of crimson energy bolts at Ange, but Luke immediately stepped forward, igniting his lightsaber and expertly deflecting the incoming shots. He lashed out with a Force Push that briefly staggered her, and Ange closed in and struck with a couple blows from her new Keyblade. She then went to swing her blue psi-blade, only for Alektra to recover and block the blow, blue and red energy blades crackling against each other.

Ange jumped back to avoid a coursing current of red psionic lightning, channeling magic through her Astral Blast and releasing as a Fire spell. Alektra dashed in, swinging her Total Eclipse at Ange, but Luke intercepted and blocked, his Force-augmented strength standing firm against hers. The young Jedi easily kept pace with the fallen Awakened, reacting to her attacks & movements almost before she made them, skillfully giving ground when she pushed her attack and then pushing her back with his own offense. And as he fought her, he tried to get a better read on her through the Force. He could sense the expected darkness, rage and hate and contempt, but there was something else underneath. Probing with the Force, he discovered the abnormality was more physical than spiritual. His eyes widened as he became aware of what he was 'looking' at. Alektra flung him back with a psionic shockwave, landing beside Ange.

"Alektra" Luke spoke suddenly in a tone that commanded attention, temporarily distracting his ally & their foe. "What I sensed through the Force just now… The violation runs deeper than you realize. When he used you as his tool, Embryo physically altered your brain – made you more ruthless, more controlling, almost totally shut down your ability to feel empathy, made it so your thought processes were more like his! His taint on your neurochemistry has been influencing your emotions and thought processes for _years_! And since Tal'darim-style Force usage is already skirting the Dark Side, his altering of your brain left you more susceptible to succumbing to the Darkness completely, amplifying the negative traits that _he_ implanted into you."

Ange and Alektra both froze in shock, _especially_ the latter. For a brief moment, the Dark taint in her eyes 'flickered', but then they glowed red as she slipped into the Darkness again. She fired a wave of crimson energy bolts, deflected by Ange's psi-blades and Luke's lightsaber. Alektra leapt forward, coming down at Ange Keyblade-first in a leaping strike that Ange blocked with her own Keyblade, the transferred force making a shockwave in the air. The fallen Awakened immediately flew into a frenzied assault, pushing Ange back, but the Awakened leader soon rallied, giving as good as she got and halting Alektra's advance.

Luke moved in to assist, the Force guiding him & Ange to work together seamlessly, pushing Alektra back. The fallen Awakened was becoming more ferocious, her rage now carrying an undercurrent of desperation. Shoving them both back with a psionic shockwave, she form-changed her 'Total Eclipse' into a big battle-axe with red psi-blades. She rushed forward, each swing of her transformed weapon releasing shockwaves of dark power. A jumping strike sent a focused wave tearing through the ground that flung the two heroes away, but Luke propelled himself back to solid ground with a Force Push while Ange fired a wave of Lightning-type _Sagitta Magica_ while still airborne.

Coming together, Luke and Angelise communed telepathically, strategizing. Then, a shadowy aura sprang up around Ange as intricate glowing markings appeared on her hands & forearms. Standing this close to it, Luke could tell that _Magia Erebea_ did not use the power of Darkness, like some people might think. Just as how _senjutsu_ was a fusion of Ki/Chakra and Force, and _kanka_ was Ki/Chakra and Magic, _Magia Erebea_ was a merger of Magic and Void – the same 'Void' used by Xemnas, Sailor Nothing, and the Dark Templar. Tapping into the Void without another Void-user to teach you was generally very difficult, and melding it with another form of energy even more-so; no wonder it had taken Evangeline McDowell decades of work to create this technique…

With her blue psi-blade now bearing a black 'outline' to it and her Keyblade gripped in the other hand, Ange resumed the attack. Even without a spell absorbed, the baseline powerup from _Magia Erebea_ boosted her enough that she soon started to overwhelm Alektra, forcing the fallen Awakened to shift her Keyblade back to its default form and pushing her back. Too distracted trying to fend off Ange's fierce assault, Alektra lost track of Luke, and was thus caught off-guard when he came in from behind, grabbed her head, and poured the healing power of the Force into her, concentrating on the parts of her brain that Embryo had twisted. Angelise joined in, using Khalai-style Force power to aid her ally, sharpening his focus and amplifying the strength of his 'Force Heal'.

Ange & Luke leapt back, just to be safe, as Alektra staggered, hand to her head, eyes wide and unseeing. Her thoughts were different, smoother; the rage was still there, but sharper and clearer and with less effect on her thought processes, like she had more control over it than before. And there were other things, things she literally hadn't felt since before Embryo – regret, or guilt, or _something_ that she'd long since forgotten the name for. Distraught and unbalanced, she retreated through a Corridor of Darkness, leaving the Keyblade Graveyard behind.

(MUSIC END)

Ange dispelled her _Magia Erebea_ as she & Luke caught their breath.

"I hope what we did sinks in" he said. "Maybe without that taint on her neurons, she'll be able to leave the Darkness behind."

"Either way," Ange said, "I don't think she'll play any more of a role here. Let's keep moving."

**-****_Break_****-**

The sun had set, the reddish-orange post-sunset glow still warming the western horizon, slowly fading. Nearing the two tallest pillars of earth & stone, the various Guardians finally reconvened.

"Wow" Terra said as he came up to Riku. "And I thought _Sora_ had gotten big. You're almost as tall as _me _now."

Meanwhile, Ventus and Roxas had caught sight of each other.

"…Well, _this_ is weird" Roxas said. "I guess it kinda makes sense, since I was 'made' from Sora while your Heart was still hitching a ride in his, and that same connection gave your dark-side Sora's face & voice…"

"I… think your hair's a little bit lighter blond than mine" Ventus replied. "And your natural vocal tone is a little bit deeper, too – just a bit."

Roxas shrugged his shoulders and smiled. "Well, I've already got Sora as an 'adopted' brother; one more won't hurt."

"So, who's still left to deal with?" Kairi asked.

"Only a couple" Riku replied. "As far as I can tell, it's just Ansem, Xemnas, Young Xehanort, Master Xehanort, and-"

A Dark Corridor opened up in the heroes' path, crackling with evil power. Out of it emerged a tall, red-haired man, cape billowing in a soft breeze. His dark presence was foreboding and intimidating on a deep, primal level, and as strong as Master Xehanort's.

"Ganondorf" King Mickey scowled. "Xehanort's partner in 'crime', the _other_ leader of the Seekers of Darkness."

"Not like the Seekers exist anymore" Aqua added. "All that's left are him and the Xehanorts."

Ganondorf chuckled. "For now, perhaps. But all I need is a little time to build up enough dark magic, and I can resurrect Ghirahim and Zant. I should probably take care of more… immediate concerns, however."

With a flash of green light, Link the Hero of Time assumed his 'Adult Mode' transformation, drawing his Master Sword. The other heroes followed suit, weapons ready.

"The forging of the χ-Blade only requires a couple more clashes," Ganondorf said, "so I only have to leave a few of you alive. In particular, those of you who aren't even Key-bearers are _unnecessary_. And as luck would have it, that means I can start with some long-overdue _revenge_!"

Ganondorf was then engulfed in a swirling black & purple vortex of power that obscured him from view, steadily growing. Although Time-Link's clothes were barely ruffled, everyone else was hit by a gale powerful enough to blow them all away, outside of the dark barrier being formed. Among the heroes, those who reacted in time weren't physically strong and heavy enough to avoid being hurled back, while those strong enough didn't react in time and were blown away…

Except for Terra, who reacted in time _and_ was strong & heavy enough to stand his ground, digging his 'Ends of the Earth' Keyblade into the earth as an anchor. As the dark gale faded, he found himself & Link trapped inside a dark barrier of interlocking purple & red shapes. Terra took a ready stance beside the aged-up Hero of Time, as in front of them a surging dark whirlwind grew to tower over them.

(BOSS MUSIC: either "Zelda Reorchestrated: Ocarina of Time – _Last Battle_" or "Breath of the Wild OST – _Calamity Ganon (Stage 2)_")

The dark vortex died down and faded to reveal a monstrous demon towering over the two heroes. The monster had a vague resemblance to a humanoid boar-like creature, a semi-lean muscled body covered in short dark blue-green fur, huge cloven-hooved feet planted into the earth, a pair of long arms with spikes of hardened fur along the forearms, clawed hands clutching a pair of huge swords, lower body clad partially in a Gerudo tunic, with a matching red cape draped over broad shoulders, a long spiked dragon-like tail, flaming-red hair in spiky 'tendrils', glowing green eyes over a fanged snout, framed by a pair of massive, forward-curving golden horns with unnaturally-sharp points… A terrifying aura clung to the demon, speaking of ancient, evil, overwhelming power boosted by the glowing Triforce emblem on the back of its left hand. Glaring down at the two humans before him, Ganon let out a deep, hissing roar.

Ganon lunged forward, swinging his massive blades, splitting the earth where Link & Terra had been standing as they leapt aside. Link couldn't get enough distance to avoid the next sweeping swing of one of Ganon's swords, and even though he blocked with his Hylian Shield he was still sent flying. Terra fired a few Firaga spells that Ganon deflected with his blades, and used that brief opening to dash in close and land a few heavy blows. He leapt over Ganon's tail swipe, and brought up his Keyblade to block a swing of Ganon's huge sword, sending him skidding back on his heels.

Link fired a couple Light Arrows at Ganon, making the demon hiss in pained rage, and Ganon then swung one of his huge swords, releasing a slicing wave of lightning magic that Link bent over backwards to just barely avoid. Ganon rushed at him, aiming to strike before he regained his balance, but a Thundaga spell from Terra made him stop short, giving Link an opening to slash across Ganon's chest with the Master Sword a couple times. Link was then flung away by a swing of the tall demon's muscular arm, the spiked fur on his forearm tearing at the young hero's tunic.

Terra form-changed his 'Ends of the Earth' into a longbow, firing arrows of raw, solid Light magic. Ganon blocked some of them with his twin blades, but was staggered by the ones that hit (due to their powerful Light magic and their sheer kinetic force). The demon's mouth opened wide as a baleful red glow built within, and then he spat out a thick beam of pure Malice at the young Key-bearer, whose eyes widened as he sensed the twisted evil power, throwing himself out of the way with less than a foot to spare. Ganon charged with head lowered, intent on goring the young man with his huge, deadly horns, bursting straight through the wall of earth Terra magically rose in his path without even slowing down. Link hit one of Ganon's legs with a "sword beam" loosed by a swing of his Master Sword, making the charging demon briefly stumble just enough to give Terra time to get out of the way.

The moment Ganon came to a brief halt, Link dashed in and landed several slashing blows before a tail-strike sent him tumbling back. Rolling to his feet, Link fired a bomb arrow at the demon, who briefly flinched from the impact and blast before then raising his swords high and slamming them downward, releasing twin cutting waves of dark power at Link. Terra intercepted, casting a Reflera spell that just barely withstood the attacks, then fired a wave of Light bolts from his Keyblade that spiraled through the air and came at Ganon from several angles. Unable to block all of them, the demon snarled from the pain and fired a focused sphere of Malice at the two heroes. Terra hit it with a Strike Raid, and it exploded with bone-shattering concussive force, making him stagger even several meters away.

Ganon charged in close, trying to crush or chop apart the two heroes with his huge swords. Link nimbly dodged while Terra braced himself and blocked, with Link then moving in low and slashing at the boar-demon's torso. Ganon focused on Link, the young Hylian dodging what he could and angling his shield to deflect blows instead of blocking the super-powerful hits head-on, dealing hits whenever he could. Finally, Ganon managed to knock Link away with a tail-strike, then turned to go for Terra again… and Terra had his 'Ends of the Earth' in its huge shoulder-mounted cannon form, an Ultima Cannon shot fully charged. The massive explosive blast of Light magic blew Ganon back, the demon tumbling to a stop and collapsing.

(MUSIC END)

Ganon was enveloped in a whirling blast of red & purple energy. Terra cried out in surprised pain as this time he wasn't able to brace himself, being hurled out of the barrier. He quickly got back to his feet, waving off his friends' concern, but now Link was in there alone… The dark energy faded to reveal Ganondorf, back in his human/Gerudo form, though his hair looked a bit longer and wilder. Even as he glared at Link the Hero of Time, he looked oddly calm.

"I suppose it's fitting that we end like this" he said. "The whelp carrying the reincarnated 'Essence' of Hylia's Chosen Hero, again standing against the 'Living Hatred' of the Lord of Demons… Both of us playing roles set out for us over 1,000 years ago."

(MUSIC: _Hyrule Warriors _– "Eclipse of the World")

A suffocating dark aura roared around Ganondorf like a blazing fire from Hell, his eyes glowing with power, as he called forth his 'Chaos Ripper' Keyblade.

"Link! Now, it is time for your soul to be scattered by the burning winds of death and cast into the scorching wastes!"

The hero and villain charged at each other, meeting with the loud clang of clashing blades. The duel commenced in earnest, Link and Ganondorf slashing and stabbing, parrying and thrusting, dodging and blocking. The ancient magic of the Triforce of Courage gave Link the power needed to match Ganondorf's tremendous physical strength, neither of them giving ground. Ganondorf leapt back and fired a Dark Blizzaga that crashed against Link's shield, and then formed a barrier to block Link's slashing sword-beam.

Ganondorf form-changed his Keyblade into a trident, firing crackling blasts of Darkness at Link from its pronged tip. Link batted each one away with his Master Sword, though Ganondorf twirled his weapon to deflect the few Link sent straight back at him. The Hero of Time brought his shield to bear and blocked the stabbing thrusts from Ganondorf's trident; the weapon was wreathed in electricity, so Link was thankful his gloves were insulated, protecting him from the current that coursed through his shield with every strike. Finally, Ganondorf leapt up & back and threw his trident down, right at Link's feet, and the green-clad hero barely rolled away in time to avoid the lightning strike that shot down at it.

Recalling his weapon and reverting it to Keyblade form, Ganondorf went in close for another offensive, Link giving ground and waiting for an opening. He ducked under a decapitating swing and moved in close, landing a few Light-imbued slashes across Ganondorf's chest. The Gerudo warlock growled, stepping back and raising a clenched fist glowing with evil power. Feeling a shudder beneath him, Link rolled to the side just as a burst of explosive magic shot up from the ground where he'd been standing. Ganondorf pulled this trick off a few more times, leaving Link scrambling to avoid getting caught in the blasts, until Link managed to throw out a sword-beam that forced Ganondorf to defend again.

Again, the hero & villain flew into a fierce duel, Master Sword and Chaos Ripper meeting again and again. Link grunted and stumbled back as Ganondorf landed a couple hits; the divine power of the Triforce converted it into non-lethal 'magic' damage, but he knew that defense wouldn't hold up forever. He gritted his teeth and charged again, using his Hylian Shield to block the Dark Firaga shot Ganondorf fired at him, attacking fiercely enough to put Ganondorf on the defensive. He managed to land a few blows before a wide swing to his gut flung him away, Ganondorf following through with a leaping strike aimed to split Link's head in half. Link rolled out of the way, throwing out another sword-beam slash to beat Ganondorf back.

Link managed to draw & fire a Light Arrow, sending Ganondorf stumbling back. The villain snarled as his eyes glowed red, and he started firing a continuous barrage of Dark Firaga, Dark Blizzaga, and Dark Thundaga spells at Link. The Hero of Time ducked and dodged, using his sword and shield to deflect incoming attacks as best he could. He leapt to avoid a falling axe-kick that cratered the earth, but then got caught by a 'glancing' swing of Ganondorf's long Keyblade. He closed in again, the two of them entering another ferocious exchange of blades.

Ganondorf launched Link back with a kick, the two of them panting for breath and marred with wounds & dirt. Following an urge he didn't quite understand, Link held the Master Sword high, pointing it skyward. After a couple seconds, his sword glowed and sparkled with divine power. Ganondorf's eyes widened in shock, and then he growled and focused the power of Darkness into his weapon, the mean-looking Keyblade being shrouded in shadow. The two of them charged each other and met with a fearsome clash, wind swirling around them and the earth trembling beneath them as they pushed against each other, trying to overpower. Finally, the Triforce on Link's hand glowed brighter, his strength increasing as he moved in close and pushed, shoving Ganondorf's Chaos Ripper up & back and knocking the warlock off-balance. Then, with a roar, he lunged forward, stabbing the glowing Master Sword through the center of Ganondorf's chest and out his back.

(MUSIC END)

Ganondorf staggered back, a look of disbelieving shock on his face and the Master Sword still impaled through his heart. The Chaos Ripper slipped from his hand, clattering to the ground. As the light began to fade from his eyes, the Triforce of Power fading away from his hand, an odd look of peace and resignation came upon his face.

"I… I feel… the… wind…"

With that, he fell backwards, dust being kicked up as he hit the ground and went still. His body then began to disintegrate into red and purple motes of essence and Darkness, drifting away on the night winds. Link walked over to his Master Sword, wiping it off and sheathing it. As the dark barrier came down, he grabbed the dropped Keyblade and stabbed it down into the ground, right where Ganondorf had fallen.

"All that's left now are the Xehanorts…" Lea observed.

Sora, Riku, and King Mickey took the lead, using magic to run up the side of the huge stone pillar/plateau. When they reached the top, they were met by three familiar black-clad figures – Ansem (Terra-Xehanort's Heartless), Xemnas, and Young Xehanort. Master Xehanort stood atop an even taller, thinner pillar at the far side, looking down at the scene.

"The time is almost upon us" Master Xehanort decreed. "With these final clashes, the 13 Keys will be called forth, and the χ-Blade shall be reborn."

"If you do summon Kingdom Hearts," Riku said, "we will defeat you, and we will close it again."

Xehanort smirked. "Perhaps. That is… if you survive that long."

(MUSIC: _Kingdom Hearts III _– [Vs. Ansem, Xemnas, & Young Xehanort])

All three of the 'younger' Xehanorts then summoned Keyblades – the blue & black clock-themed blade of Young Xehanort (hereafter referred to as "Eternal Legacy"), Ansem S.O.D. wielding a Replica of the same red & black blade he once wielded while possessing Riku (which I will call "Stolen Heart"), and a spiky, slender black & white blade with a Gazing Eye in the head, wielded by Xemnas (newer version of "Touch of the Void", designed by Deviant-Artist "PhoenixTrooper").

King Mickey charged in first, meeting blades with Young Xehanort. Ansem tried to intervene, only to be intercepted and engaged by Riku, while Sora went for Xemnas. Xemnas conjured thorny tendrils of Nothingness that Sora danced around, the young hero rushing at him and managing to land a blow before Xemnas then shoved him back with a barrier. The void-user fired a wave of red energy bolts, but Sora protected himself with Reflera and then got in close, Kingdom Key and Touch of the Void clanging together.

Riku did his best to evade as Ansem floated at him while surrounded in a cylindrical barrier of crisscrossing lasers. He hit Ansem with a Thundaga spell and then charged in, but the human-form Heartless recovered in time to bring Stolen Heart to bear and block Riku's Way to the Dawn. A short and frenzied duel ensued, until Ansem forced Riku back with an array of floating mines. Meanwhile, King Mickey used his Keyblade (Kingdom Key D) to bat away bolts of magic that Young Xehanort fired at him, returning fire with spiraling orbs of Light that YX blocked with a Dark Reflect spell. The time traveler came at him, Eternal Legacy battering at Mickey's guard until Mickey cast a whirling Aerora barrier around himself that flung YX away.

There was a burst of Darkness as, intrigued by the young heroes' skills and wanting to have a little fun himself, Master Xehanort took a Dark Corridor down to the battlefield. He came at Sora from behind while the hero was distracted locking blades with Xemnas, but then a pillar of light shot down from the sky above, striking the ground right in Xehanort's path. Glaring at Master Xehanort, Master Yen Sid – having transformed his robes into a blue coat modeled after the Organization's typical attire for easier mobility – brandished his 'Star Seeker' Keyblade. Xehanort grinned.

"We haven't last fought since long before these whelps were born" he said. "I get the feeling that age has not dulled your edge, Yen Sid."

The arch-mage took a stance. "Let us find out" he replied. "Your quest to endanger all Worlds ends this day, Xehanort."

Master Yen Sid conjured and fired a sizable wave of Light bolts that curled through the air, coming at Xehanort from different angles. Xehanort protected himself with a spherical Dark Reflect that he then made shatter outward, the magic 'shrapnel' being casually deflected by Yen Sid's barrier, and then called forth a wave of 'dead' Keyblades from the graveyard below. He perched atop one, surfing through the air at the head of a serpentine column of dead Keyblades, firing attack spells down at Yen Sid. The heroic master responded by conjuring a set of glowing golden wings of magic at his back, taking flight and flinging swords & stars made of Light at his evil former fellow-disciple.

Xemnas shifted to his dual 'ethereal blades', the red lightsaber-like energy blades extending from his palms, dashing about and coming at Sora from numerous angles with spinning slashes. Sora's adrenaline was pumping as he blocked and dodged as best he could, eventually getting Xemnas to back off by circling Fira spells around himself as a barrier. Xemnas tossed out a few crackling orbs of Void power that expanded several-fold when they got close to Sora, interrupting his attempt to rush in for an attack. Sora tossed his Keyblade through a gap and Reverse-Recalled himself to it, getting in Xemnas' surprised face and landing several blows.

Riku ran in a wide circle around Ansem, firing attack spells while fleeing the jet-black shadow chasing him. He abruptly changed course, doubling back and leaping over the shadow as it extended upwards into an antlion-like maw, narrowly dodging its scythe-like claws as they tried to grab him. He closed in on Ansem, Keyblades clashing as they dueled. Ansem conjured a few floating orbs that fired laser beams at Riku, and as Riku twisted around them while dueling the human-form Heartless he managed to use his Keyblade to deflect one of the beams back at Ansem, making him flinch and giving Riku an opening to land some hits with 'Way to the Dawn'.

Young Xehanort form-changed his Eternal Legacy into a whip with the Keyblade's 'teeth' at the end, striking at King Mickey from a safe distance (due to just how _fast_ Mickey could flit about and attack at close range, plus his size making him harder to hit). Mickey batted the whip-head away each time it swung at him, and fired a wave of Light-type _Sagitta Magica_ at Young Xehanort, who hit the incoming magic projectiles with a Slow spell and casually stepped out of their way. YX then moved his Keyblade in a sweeping arc, leaving behind a formation of bright-blue energy bolts that shot out and came at King Mickey from multiple angles. The little king protected himself with a Reflega barrier and then dashed in close, pushing Young Xehanort back with a barrage of Keyblade strikes.

Master Yen Sid swooped down at Master Xehanort, knocking him off his 'mount' and onto the tall spire overlooking the battleground. He dove down after him, swinging Star Seeker down, and as Xehanort's Keyblade blocked it, the transferred force fractured the rock beneath Xehanort's feet. With enhancement magic flowing through their aged bodies, they dueled with such speed that their movements were near-blurred, and such power that every blocked strike made a shockwave rip through the air. Xehanort shifted his Keyblade into a clawed gauntlet, taking swipes at Yen Sid aimed to eviscerate the old man, and Yen Sid shifted his Star Seeker into a scepter, expertly parrying Xehanort's blows and making lightning-quick jabs with the bottom point of his transformed weapon, which were in turn twisted around or swatted aside.

As their respective duels come close to each other, Sora and Mickey switch opponents, the little king matching blades with Xemnas while the Kingdom Key's chosen one clashed with the younger version of his archenemy. Sora ducked and weaved around Young Xehanort's Keyblade-whip strikes, throwing a Strike Raid at the villainous youth, but YX very briefly slowed time to evade. He then came in at Sora, Eternal Legacy swung aimed at the youth's neck, but Sora brought his Keyblade up in time to deflect Young Xehanort's, and then he charged power as the Kingdom Key glowed red. Sora surged forward, landing a withering barrage of extra-strength blows that had Young Xehanort reeling – an 'Ars Arcanum' attack. After dealing the final blow of the attack, Sora tried to form a Rasengan and ram it into Young Xehanort's chest, but the villain recovered and leapt away, growling as he cast Cure on himself.

Riku brought his Way to the Dawn up to block Ansem's leaping strike, Stolen Heart pressing down against his guard. Xehanort's Heartless pressed his attack, wild swings being blocked or parried as Riku gave ground, until Riku took a split-second opening to get in low and launch Ansem back with a heavy Keyblade blow to the chest. Ansem conjured a set of floating mines that started floating towards Riku, homing in on him, and Riku cast a wide Aeroga barrier around himself that set them off prematurely. Ansem dashed in and managed to land a blow with his Stolen Heart, but Riku powered through the pain and struck Ansem with a barrage of heavy strikes.

King Mickey leapt about and swung his Keyblade to dodge and deflect the red energy bolts that Xemnas was firing at him from multiple angles, firing a wave of Blizzard magic when he saw an opening. Xemnas cast a Void barrier with his 'Touch of the Void', dual-wielding it and a single 'ethereal blade' as he rushed at Mickey again. The head Nobody's fierce assault had Mickey on the defensive for a moment, until the little king adjusted to Xemnas' attack patterns and even landed a few hits of his own. Xemnas flung out a few of his expanding crackling orbs of Void power, but Mickey made a magic-powered leap straight up that cleared him of the attacks' radii, firing a wave of Ragnarok bolts down at Xemnas, who only managed to block some of them.

Xehanort and Yen Sid had switched to throwing grand-scale magic attacks at each other. Yen Sid fired a Firaza blast at Xehanort, who extinguished the massive fireball with a Waterza spell; the water was then flash-frozen into a Blizzaza spell, lancing spears of ice surging forward. An Aeroza spell swirled around Yen Sid, slicing wind tearing Xehanort's attack apart, and Xehanort barely brought a Refleza up in time to block the Thundaza that crashed down on him, the ground around him being charred by thunderbolts. Yen Sid then shifted his 'Star Seeker' into a bow and started firing arrows of Light magic, and Xehanort shifted his Keyblade into a shield with bladed edges, deflecting Yen Sid's shots as he closed in and slashed at the blue-clad Master, who gave ground while returning his weapon to its base state, trying to get through or around Xehanort's guard with his own strikes.

Sora's outfit flashed and turned mostly red as he assumed his Valor Form, a second Kingdom Key appearing in his off hand. He rushed in at Young Xehanort, closing in faster than before, and YX barely brought his Eternal Legacy up in time to block a crushing blow. Sora continued with a relentless assault, and soon Young Xehanort slipped up with his guard and was being pummeled with magic-enhanced blows that shook him to his core. Sora finished by putting all of his remaining current Valor Form charge into a mighty cross-slash with his twin Keyblades that scarred the earth beneath & behind Young Xehanort.

(MUSIC PAUSE)

A pillar of Darkness shot up from Young Xehanort as he fell to his hands & knees. His groans of pain turned into weak chuckles.

"What's so funny?!" Sora asked.

"My loss here doesn't matter" Young Xehanort replied. "I'm going back to my own time, to live out my life. It is already written that I will grow up to become your greatest foe, and bring about this Second Keyblade War. Soon, he – _I_ – will purge the Worlds of false Light, and allow the Darkness to burn everything clean! Your time… is _up_!"

His Replica body then broke apart into wisps of Darkness, his Heart returning to its own time period.

(MUSIC RESUME)

With Young Xehanort out of the picture, Sora turned his attention to helping King Mickey against Xemnas. The head Nobody somehow channeled an ethereal blade around/through his Keyblade, giving it a crimson glow and lengthening its 'teeth'. He started flinging more explosive Void orbs at Sora & Mickey, and while they were distracted avoiding those, he caught them in a 'cage' of dozens of red energy bolts surrounding them. They all came shooting in at them at once, but Sora and the King reacted in time to defend themselves, Keyblades blurs of motion as they deflected and dodged.

The moment Xemnas' attack abated, King Mickey released a flare of light, and as Xemnas flinched from the brightness, Sora rushed out to the side and threw a Strike Raid that caught Xemnas in the side. King Mickey sprang forward, striking with several Sonic Blade attacks, knocking Xemnas around until the Nobody managed to catch him by the neck and slam him to the ground. Sora came in and blocked his attempt to strike down the stunned Mickey, who got back and used Cura on himself while Sora pounded Xemnas with heavy blows. Mickey joined in after a moment, the first two Keyblades bombarding Xemnas with Light- and Darkness-imbued strikes. Finally, twin beams of gold and silver light were fired from the two heroes' weapons, piercing through Xemnas' chest.

(MUSIC PAUSE)

Staggering on unsteady feet, Keyblade clattering to the ground, Xemnas looked down at his gloved hands as Darkness and Nothingness began to leech away from his body.

"Bested… yet again…"

Sora stepped forward. "I _know_ that you have a Heart. What do you feel? Was it worth it?"

"I feel… the emptiness where my companions once stood. I took them for granted. And now, I have… nothing. My first surge of emotions in years… for as long as I can remember… and it's… _loneliness_. Do you see, Sora? A Heart is just pain."

"Pain is part of being a _person_, Xemnas."

Xemnas gave a small, sad smile. "Really? It must take… _incredible_ strength…"

With his role done, Xemnas came apart as the void took him.

(MUSIC RESUME)

Sora and Mickey then moved to help Riku deal with Ansem, blasting the human-form Heartless with a wave of star-shaped magic bolts. Ansem snarled, casting a sizable Dark Volley barrage from his 'Stolen Heart', the dark magic 'projectiles' beating against the Reflect spells that Sora & Mickey protected themselves with. Riku dashed in while Ansem was briefly distracted, landing a few hits with Way to the Dawn before his opponent smacked him away.

Mickey hung back as Sora moved in, the Kingdom Key's bearer hitting his first major foe with a Sonic Blade strike. He and Riku double-teamed Ansem, attacking from both sides to overwhelm his defense. Ansem made near-wild swings with his own Keyblade, firing laser beams and striking with shadowy talons of Darkness, but the two experienced Guardians of Light were able to read and cope with his attacks, hammering away at him. Finally, they struck together, slashing across and through his body with full force.

(MUSIC END)

Xehanort's Heartless fell to the ground, clutching his chest as he began to evaporate into motes of Darkness. As Riku cautiously approached, the human-form Heartless smirked.

"What… a journey you & I have had…"

"…It's strange" Riku said. "I think I'm almost gonna miss you, in some strange way."

"Your strength is vaster than Darkness. I knew I never stood a chance. Part of me wanted to defy my fate… but when the others betrayed us, I found I did not care. And then, nothing else seemed to matter anymore." He looked up at Sora & Riku. "There is always more to seek, to discover, to _learn_… So go forth, youths, and seek it…"

With one last puff of Darkness, he was gone.

Up above, Master Xehanort cried out as he was overpowered, Master Yen Sid's strike sending him tumbling. Gasping for breath as he staggered to his feet with his Keyblade as a crutch, he began to laugh.

"And yet…" he said. "Still, you fail. Defeating me in a duel doesn't stop me, Yen Sid. In fact… you and your students have ensured that I get exactly what I want."

(MUSIC: _Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep _– "The Key")

As he cast a Curaga spell on himself, 12 copies of his wicked-looking Keyblade formed, it and the original floating around him in an orbiting circle. He fired a beam of light up into the cloudy sky, and a deep 'thrum' shook the world as the clouds began to swirl and part. Soon, a massive object was revealed, appearing like an enormous heart-shaped moon radiating blue & gold holy light – the Heart of all Worlds, Kingdom Hearts.

"All my efforts, _decades_ of work, have led to this moment. The fated time has come! The Keyblade War will finally reach its conclusion!" The 12 Keyblades became masses of darkness & light that melded into his…

"The χ-Blade… is _forged_!"

With a flash of light, the weapon in his hands transformed into a massive longsword-like weapon, a shimmering gold blade extending from a hilt that looked like two Kingdom Keys crossed. He fired a beam of purple & black Darkness up at the Heart of Worlds above.

"Kingdom Hearts! I call upon your true form! Open now, and show me the World to come!"

Corruptive darkness began to rapidly spread across Kingdom Hearts' face. The night sky gained a shimmering grey tint, and 'fireballs' of darkness began to rain down all across the Keyblade Graveyard like meteors streaking to earth. As Sora fell to his knees, his comrades finally caught up with him, Riku, & Mickey.

"Don't give up yet, Sora" Donald said.

"So, he's finally done it…" Terra said, glaring up at the elderly Keyblade Master floating high up in the sky. "Formed the χ-Blade and opened Kingdom Hearts…"

"We're not out of this yet" Yen Sid decreed.

"Right" Mickey replied. "We still have one hope left."

"What would that be?" Roxas asked.

"Xehanort" Riku replied. "During the Mark of Mastery exam, we learned that he can transcend space and time. He's a living temporal portal. And we can use that against him!"

"It won't be easy, though" Mickey said. "Aqua, Riku, I'll need your help if we're gonna push Xehanort out of this world."

"No" Sora spoke up. "_I'll_ do it. Kingdom Hearts being corrupted is a much bigger threat. I'll handle Xehanort while all you guys keep it shut, keep the Darkness from spreading."

"Not alone, you won't" Donald said.

"Donald & I were there for the start of your adventure, Sora," Goofy added, "and now we'll be here for the end of it!"

"And for the start of the next one, too!"

"We'll hold down the fort down here" Kairi said. "Put an end to this whole mess, you three!" She grinned and gave a thumbs-up.

Every Keyblade-wielder amongst the Guardians of Light drew their weapons and pointed them at the sky, Keyblades glowing with Light at their tips, pointed up at Master Xehanort. Beams of Light shot forth, and Master Xehanort turned around just in time to take one to the chest, a look of shock forming on his face as he seemed to be frozen in time, an odd portal similar to those seen in the Realm of Sleep forming from his body. Then, Donald & Goofy put their hands on Sora, and the three of them turned into a mass of light that shut upwards, flying into and through the Xehanort-portal. They and Xehanort vanished in a flash of light, and the spread of corruption across Kingdom Hearts' visible surface slowed dramatically.

As the Guardians of Light looked up at the Heart of Worlds, using their Keyblades to maintain a 'lock' on it to keep it closed up, the rest of the DDF heroes, having cleared out the dark hordes, finally arrived and caught up.

"I see a couple new faces among the Guardians" Shepard said.

"It looks like Sora and his friends managed to free Terra, Roxas, and Xion" Fate observed with a smile.

"So that's the Heart of the Universe…" Elsa murmured, awed. "Even with that corruption trying to spread… it's still beautiful."

"Yep" Genie replied. "Been a while since I last got to see it. And trust me, it's even more breathtaking when it's clean."

"…Where's Sora and his little crew?" Capt. Sparrow asked.

"That thing up there is a time portal of some sort" Sailor Pluto replied. "They probably went through in pursuit of Xehanort, to finish the fight elsewhere."

Suddenly, Goku gasped softly, and then glared up at the darkness up above. "Something's coming."

(MUSIC: _Kingdom Hearts III _– [Vs. Xehanort Replicas])

Suddenly, from the Darkness encroaching across Kingdom Hearts' 'surface', 12 black masses emerged, shooting down towards the core Guardians. The masses solidified into a set of 12 figures clad in red-lined purple cloaks with red metal gauntlets & boots, faces (if they had any) hidden by three-horned silver masks. Each of them wielded a glowing blue replica of one of the 12 Seekers' weapons (Master Xehanort's Keyblade, Xigbar's arrowguns, Dark Riku's 'Soul Eater' sword, Larxene's kunai, Marluxia's scythe, Luxord's cards, Vanitas' 'Void Gear', Saïx's claymore, Xion's Kingdom Key, Xemnas' ethereal blades, Ansem's 'Stolen Heart', and Young Xehanort's 'Eternal Legacy').

"Get ready!" Mickey shouted.

"What _are_ these things?" Ventus asked.

"Replica bodies imbued with Xehanort's essence" Yen Sid replied. "He means to have them dispose of us while he handles Sora himself."

Then, a horde of dark creatures emerged all around – hundreds of Emblem-type Heartless, the surviving Unversed, some Nobodies, and every remaining one of the Hybrids that Xehanort had 'inherited' from Amon. The DDF heroes all got ready to fight; Fate, Erika, and Zeratul joined up with the Guardians of Light, while Ange, Luke, the ponies, the two Links, and the Karide siblings went to assist the other heroes against the massive tide of dark creatures.

"We'll handle the Replicas!" Riku called out. "Everyone else, take care of the horde!"

The 12 Vessels charged in from all directions, each one targeting a Key-bearer. Zeratul moved forward to intercept the Xemnas-Replica, Terra squared off with the Saïx-Replica, Kairi started dueling the Dark Riku-Replica, Ventus went for the Xigbar-Replica, Yen Sid engaged the Ansem-Replica, and so on.

[AN: Remember, they are not literally Replicas of the Seekers; they are soulless/heartless Replicas of Xehanort, each one wielding the weapon(s) and abilities of a Seeker but still a 'nort. It's just quicker to refer to them as "{Name}-Replica" instead of, say, "Xehanort-Replica Wielding {Name}'s Power"]

Riku ducked under a swing of the Terra-Xehanort-Replica's Keyblade, blew the wraith back with a Darkness blast to the chest, and shot a Dark Firaga that the Replica managed to deflect. The TX-Replica struck the earth with its Keyblade, making sharp stones shoot up at Riku, only to shatter against his Reflera barrier. A little ways away, Aqua rolled and leapt to avoid the giant razor-sharp cards being hurled at her by the Luxord-Replica, flinging slicing waves of magic back at the cloaked figure; most were intercepted, and the few that got through and hit the Replica didn't seem to do much damage yet.

Xion and Erika had teamed up, the two smallest Key-bearers (among those fighting the Replinorts, anyway) taking on the Xion-Replica and the Marluxia-Replica. Erika fired a Prism Rain barrage at the Xion-Replica, knocking it back into a slash from Xion, who then deflected a slicing wave of magic flung at her by the Marluxia-Replica's scythe. The Marluxia-Replica came in closer, but before it could attack Erika slashed across it with a couple of Sonic Blade strikes. Xion went for a heavy blow against it, only for the Xion-Replica to slide in and block her attack.

Lea & Ven had grouped up, fighting the Vanitas-Replica and the Xigbar-Replica. Ventus flung the Xigbar-Replica skyward with an Aerora burst, but when he fired a barrage of magic bolts at it, the Replica recovered enough to use its arrowguns to shoot Ven's projectiles out of the air. The Vanitas-Replica's falling strike split the ground where Lea had just been standing as the flame-user leapt back, swings of Lea's 'Flame Liberator' flinging slicing rings of fire at the Replica; the 'Replinort' managed to deflect most of them, but one got through to singe its coat. It pointed its 'Void Gear' at Lea and fired a concentrated wave of Darkness bolts, only for Ven to deflect them with a well-timed Strike Raid.

Riku and Terra came together, taking on the Terranort-Replica and the Saïx-Replica. Terra pushed against the Saïx-Replica's attempt to overpower him, lashing out with a kick at the Replinort's leg to make it back off. Riku came in from behind and landed a few slashes on the Saïx-Replica, and when the Terranort-Replica pursued him, Terra intercepted and smashed the Replinort away, then followed up with a blast of magic that his opponent unfortunately managed to block.

Kairi and Roxas worked together against the Dark-Riku-Replica and the Young-Xehanort Replica. Roxas blocked the YX-Replica's Keyblade with his 'Oblivion' and slammed his 'Oathkeeper' into the Replinort's side, stunning it. Kairi came in for another blow, only for the Dark-Riku-Replica to intercept her, blocking her swing and giving the YX-Replica time to recover. The YX-Replica extended its 'Eternal Legacy' into its whip form, swinging the extending weapon around to catch Roxas in the side. On contact, it ensnared him in a Slow spell, and then while he was briefly helpless, the two Replinorts double-teamed Kairi. She deflected the YX-Replica's next attack, but the force of it knocked her Keyblade arm up and out to the side, and the DR-Replica came in from the other side, attacking from a direction Kairi couldn't defend herself in time…

There was a spark of warmth in Kairi's chest, and then a _second_ Keyblade appeared in her off hand, blocking the DR-Replica's attack. The new Keyblade had a handle like a honey-covered honeypot, a stylized tree trunk as the shaft, and a beehive with bees as the 'teeth' – the Keyblade known as "Sweet Memories". Kairi's eyes widened as she realized where this new Keyblade had come from:

"Naminé…" she whispered.

Since Naminé was the Nobody of a Keyblade-wielder, even though her 'Original' hadn't yet awakened their Keyblade when she was 'created', she too was a potential wielder. And since her Heart was a 'passenger' in Kairi, that meant that Kairi could wield her Keyblade along with her own. The DR-Replica jumped back to dodge Kairi's swing, just as Roxas broke free of the Slow spell and took position beside her, the two dual-wielders going back to back.

Aqua had formed up with Master Yen Sid, the two of them fighting together against the Ansem-Replica and the Luxord-Replica. Yen Sid's barrier spell stopped the Luxord-Replica's giant die cube and flung it back, bowling the Replinort over, while Aqua blasted the orbs of Darkness the Ansem-Replica conjured before they could shift into laser-firers or floating mines or such. The Ansem-Replica charged in, 'Stolen Heart' swinging at Aqua, but Yen Sid blocked the Replinort's strike and then brought a powerful Thundaga crashing down on the enemy. The Luxord-Replica threw a hand of razor-sharp cards at Yen Sid, only for Aqua to smack them aside with her 'Stormfall'.

King Mickey and Zeratul were taking on the Larxene-Replica and the Xemnas-Replica. Zeratul pushed the Xemnas-Replica back with a wave of green psionic lightning, the Replinort straining to push its Keyblade against the force assailing it. The Larxene-Replica threw a few kunai at the Nerazim warrior, but King Mickey leapt into their path and swatted the thrown knives away with his Keyblade, then fired a wave of Light orbs at the Replinort, who in turn deflected the little king's attack with lightning 'claws' extending from kunai held between its gauntleted fingers.

Skidding back on her heels after blocking a heavy blow from the Xion-Replica, Erika blasted the Replinort back with a Waterga spell. As Xion landed beside her after smacking the Marluxia-Replica away, Erika began forming a Rasengan. Staring at the growing sphere of chaotically rotating energy, Xion pointed her Keyblade's tip at it and started carefully infusing the power of Light into it, making the Rasengan grow in size and gain a shimmering golden glow. Erika charged at the Xion-Replica, and the Marluxia-Replica came at her from the side to intercept… so she abruptly pivoted, turned and slammed the attack into the Marluxia-Replica's chest instead, digging deep into the Replinort's chest and then exploding in a focused concussive wave of spiraling energy that tore the Replica apart. The Xion-Replica came in from the side, battering at Erika's guard, but then Xion managed to stun it with a blow to the head, leaving it open for her & Erika to slash over and over again at full strength, until it collapsed and disintegrated into wisps of Darkness.

Master Yen Sid pressed his attack on the Ansem-Replica, not giving it room to maneuver as he battered away at its guard. Finally, he hit it with a Blizzaza spell that froze it solid, and then a mighty whack with his 'Star Seeker' shattered the Replinort. The Luxord-Replica came at Yen Sid next, and therefore didn't notice Aqua weaving hand-seals and readying her chakra until it was too late. The Replinort turned just in time to get hit by the full steel-crunching force of her _Suiton: Suiryūdan_, crushing and destroying it.

Roxas and Kairi were steadily pushing their opponents back, wearing away at the two Replinorts. Naminé was more 'awake' now inside Kairi, occasionally casting her own barrier spells through her Keyblade in Kairi's hand to help against Xehanort's vessels, while she and Kairi were now communicating, able to hear each other's thoughts as they worked together. The two Replinorts came at Roxas from both sides, but he cast his powerful 'Miracle Hour' Light spell, the slicing beams of white light shoving them back and harming them further. He & Kairi landed matching kicks that knocked the Dark Riku-Replica and Young-Xehanort-Replica against each other, and then lashed past with a double cross-slash, four lines of light cutting through the two Replinorts as they came apart.

Zeratul had the Xemnas-Replica on the ropes, landing hits with his 'Shadow Walker' as he forced the Replinort back. The Xemnas-Replica tried to rally, keeping an eye on the Protoss' Keyblade… and thus losing track of Zeratul's green psi-blade until it pierced through the Replinort's chest and slashed upwards, partially bisecting the Replica and destroying it. Channeling the power of Kingdom Hearts above, King Mickey's 'Kingdom Key D' shifted into its Ultima Weapon form [KH1 design], and he surged forward in an Ars Arcanum attack, bombarding the Larxene-Replica with overwhelming blows, finishing with one that crushed its helmeted head, the Replica disintegrating into motes of Darkness.

The Saïx-Replica was flung skyward by a rising rock smash from Terra. The Key-bearer then shifted his 'Ends of the Earth' into its Ultima Cannon form, charging and firing a massive blast that incinerated the Replica. Nearby, Riku managed to lop off the Terranort-Replica's head in the midst of a frantic duel. Lea managed to jab the tip of his Keyblade into the Vanitas-Remnant's chest and fire off a Firaga spell partially inside the Replica, cooking it from the inside. Finally, Ventus wove in past the Xigbar-Replica's wild shots, flung the Replinort into the air with a rising Aeroga, and finished it off with a series of crushingly powerful blows with his 'Wayward Wind'.

(MUSIC END)

As everyone caught their breath, the wisps of Darkness that were once the 12 Replica-Xehanorts suddenly all came together and flew back up toward Kingdom Hearts, passing back through the portal.

"It's all up to Sora, Donald, & Goofy now" Riku remarked. "I hope they're ready…"

**-****_Break_****-**

When the light faded, the trio found themselves standing in a small courtyard, facing an enormous 'mountain' covered in (or made of) houses and buildings. Everything was white, gleaming under the clear blue sky. Gondolas connected various locations, ready to ferry people (of which there appeared to be none around) up or down the mountain-city. Windmills were all over the place. The town seemed to be surrounded by crystal-clear water, with several other mountain-towns scattered as far as the eye could see.

"It's beautiful…" Goofy said, awed.

"Admire it another time" Donald replied.

"Right' Sora nodded. "We need to find Master Xehanort."

As the trio entered the city and explored, they were struck by how quiet it was. After searching through the labyrinth of streets, walkways, and bridges, they kept a lookout for any signs of activity, but it was all still and silent…

"Of all the places to be sent…"

Hearing Master Xehanort's sudden voice, the trio spun to see the old man standing atop a flight of stairs, looking around with a nostalgic gaze.

"Look upon this place, boys" he said. "Centuries ago, the location known as Daybreak Town was the home of the Foretellers and the Master of Masters. When Daybreak Town was almost completely destroyed during the First Keyblade War, this sprawling place was built atop its ruins. This world is the nexus from which all other worlds spring…"

Suddenly, the essences of the 12 defeated Replica-Xehanorts appeared, flowing into Master Xehanort, who was enveloped in a smoky black & white aura.

"Here, I and my other selves can be one. The same place where I was trained as a boy, where my great journey with the Keyblade began, is where I shall bring this long and sordid tale to its climactic end! Welcome to where everything began, chosen bearer of the Kingdom Key! Welcome… to _Scala ad Caelum_!"

(BOSS MUSIC: _Kingdom Hearts III _– [Vs. Armored Xehanort])

A swirling cocoon of black and silver energy erupted from Xehanort, obscuring him from view. When it faded, he was clad in an elaborate set of Keyblade Armor, topped with a helm designed like a goat's head. He floated above the ground, his familiar Keyblade appearing in his hand, and then 12 more instances of the nameless weapon appeared floating around him. Sora, Donald, & Goofy came forward, ready to fight, but Xehanort waved his hand, and the buildings – as well as the ground beneath them – began to twist and bend overhead. A twist of his wrist, and gravity began to go haywire.

Sora focused deep within his Heart, drawing on the power of Kingdom Hearts itself. First, his Kingdom Key became larger and more ornate with an elegant blue, gold, & silver design, power flowing through it as it assumed its 'Ultima Weapon' form [KH2 design]. Then, his entire body was engulfed in a brilliant silver light. When the light faded, most of his outfit had turned white or silver, his eyes glowed white, Oathkeeper and Oblivion floated at his sides, and six swords of Light floated at his back, spread out like wings. Imbued with the power of Final Form, Sora charged, and Xehanort rushed to meet him.

They met with a ferocious clash that shook the air, Sora's 9 blades and Xehanort's 13 whirling through the air and clashing against each other several times a second. After several seconds of this, they broke off and fired waves of Light and Darkness bolts at each other, the dozens of magic projectiles intercepting and canceling each other out. Sora started rapid-firing Firaga shots at Xehanort, who swirled Blizzaga spells around himself as a shield and then launched them as a wave of deadly-sharp icicles at Sora, who in turn telekinetically spun his Oathkeeper & Oblivion to deflect and shatter them all.

Sora dove in, Ultima Keyblade giving off sparks of Light every time it clashed with Xehanort's 'prime' weapon, while the evil Keyblade Master's other 12 blades were fended off by Sora's secondary Keyblades and the wing-blades of his Final Form. The two of them zipped around through the air, firing blasts of magic and making jousting charges at each other, missed or deflected attacks blowing chunks off the twisted buildings around them. Xehanort attempted to charge an energy blast with several of his Keyblades, but a Thundaga spell from Donald ruined his concentration. Goofy boomerang-threw his shield, knocking a few of Xehanort's Keyblades aside, and Sora took advantage of the distraction to land several blows.

Xehanort fired a blast of dark magic down into the ground below. Seconds later, a huge pillar of Darkness-tainted flames shot up from beneath the center of the battlefield, filling the air with light and magically-contained heat. He became more aggressive, trying to push Sora towards the pillar of fire, but Sora pushed back as best he could. Then, Xehanort suddenly vanished, flash-stepping into the pillar of fire, which did no harm to him or his armor. He began swinging his Keyblades, each swing launching a shotgun-like blast of fireballs at Sora, but Donald & Goofy came in, using a Reflera barrier and enchanted shield to protect their friend.

As the flame pillar faded out, Xehanort came charging out with his prime Keyblade wreathed in flames. He closed in on Sora, every swing releasing a wave of fire, until Sora released a pulse of energy that knocked Xehanort back. Xehanort conjured a set of greenish-black spheres of Dark power that formed in a circle around Sora, following him as he flew around, but when they all crashed toward him at once, Sora timed a spinning slash with his wing-blades that deflected them all. Sora got in close, dodging a spearing thrust of Xehanort's blade and slashing at his armored foe, Ultima Weapon gouging into the enchanted armor.

At Xehanort's command, chunks of rubble began to float into the air, some of them the size of small houses. With a wave of his free hand, the rubble started shooting through the air at Sora from all directions. Donald & Goofy formed up with Sora as he spun his Oathkeeper & Oblivion to cast revolving Reflega barriers that the giant projectiles were shattered against. As soon as the barrage stopped, Sora & Donald fired off a Final Form-boosted firework-rocket barrage, dozens of sparking missiles coming at Xehanort from all sides. The old villain used his Keyblades to block as many as he could, but some managed to still get through.

The sky darkened as Master Xehanort charged the power of Darkness into his prime Keyblade, enveloping it in a shadowy black & purple aura that extended to half-again the weapon's normal length. Sora's Ultimate Keyblade glowed bright as he channeled power through it as well, and the two flew at each other, meeting with a crash like thunder. They dueled fiercely in midair, each strike releasing sparks of Light and Darkness; their 'extra' blades soon came into play, clashing against each other in a flurry of deadly motion. Sora struck with a triple-Keyblade Ars Arcanum barrage, hammering at Xehanort's guard and pushing him back. Knocked back by an especially powerful blow, Master Xehanort looked up to see Goofy careening towards him from above, glaring down at him while coming at him shield-first, shield glowing bright with power:

"Meteor Hammer!" the royal-guard captain called out.

Although Xehanort blocked the blow, it still sent him hurtling through the air, stunned with several of his duplicate Keyblades blocked away. He was thus wide open as Donald fired his mighty spell:

"Megaflare!"

A thick beam of concentrated fire/plasma magic crashed into Xehanort, wearing away at his dark armor and blasting him skyward. At the peak of his flight, Sora came at him, holding a Rasengan glowing bright with his Final Form's power of Light. Sora slammed the attack into the center of Xehanort's chest-piece, and the resulting grinding detonation tore his Keyblade Armor apart, sending the old man hurtling back through the air.

(MUSIC END)

Regaining control before he hit the ground, Master Xehanort came to land on the roof courtyard at the top of _Scala ad Caelum_'s central tower. Sora flew in and set down there, carrying Donald & Goofy, as Xehanort cast a Curaga spell on himself.

"It's all over, Xehanort" Sora said, pointing his Keyblade at the man.

Xehanort smirked. "You thought you could contain me here… knowing all that you do about connections, Sora?"

He held a hand out, and with a brilliant flash of light, the χ-Blade appeared in his grasp. He floated up off the ground, looking down at the three heroes with an evil grin.

(FINAL BOSS MUSIC – _Kingdom Hearts III _– [Vs. χ-Blade Xehanort])

"There is one sky," he said, "one destiny!"

He pointed the χ-Blade high, and dark clouds swirled all across the sky. Soon, they parted to reveal Kingdom Hearts, the massive heart-shaped moon's Light shining over everything. Sora's Final Form suddenly came undone, power being drawn away from him and returning him to his base state, although he still retained enough of Kingdom Hearts' energy to keep his Keyblade in its Ultima Weapon form.

Master Xehanort vanished through a keyhole-shaped portal and flew out of another that formed off to Sora's left, coming in with χ-Blade swinging. Sora quickly spun and brought his Keyblade up to block, the force sending him skidding back on his heels, and he swung his weapon to release a slicing wave of magic, only for Xehanort to vanish through another keyhole portal. He reappeared above, swinging the χ-Blade down in a falling strike aimed to split Sora in two, but Goofy raised his shield and blocked the strike, giving Sora an opening to leap up and land a few blows, launching Master Xehanort back.

Xehanort floated higher, channeling his power, and a massive and intricate magic rune-circle appeared all over the rooftop plaza. It began to rise up, carrying Sora, Donald, & Goofy into the sky with it. Now with a battlefield high in the night-dark sky, dominated by the brilliance of Kingdom Hearts, Xehanort form-shifted the χ-Blade into a pair of gleaming golden chakrams like Lea's. He rushed in at Sora, attacking with a barrage of spinning strikes that the youth was hard-pressed to guard against. Donald flung Xehanort away with a Zero-Gravity spell, casting Cura on Sora while Goofy threw his shield at the fallen Keyblade Master, who shifted the χ-Blade back to its base state and deflected the shot.

Beams of burning light shone down at Xehanort's command, moving across the battlefield in sweeping, curving patterns. Sora, Donald, & Goofy had to stay in constant motion to avoid being caught by any of the beams, and to make it even harder Xehanort started flinging spells at them as well. When the onslaught stopped, Xehanort charged in again, he and Sora dueling and landing a few hits on each other. Xehanort then shifted the χ-Blade into a double-ended sword weapon [a Darth Maul-saber, if that helps you picture it], coming at Sora with sweeping slashes. Sora gave ground until his friends came to his aid, Goofy's charging tackle slamming his shield into Xehanort's side. Donald fired a Blizzaga, but Xehanort spun his blades to deflect and shatter the ice blast.

Xehanort floated up and back, and 13 pillars with thrones atop them rose to surround the battlefield, each with a shadowy Master Xehanort seated in it, wielding a pitch-black χ-Blade. They all rushed Sora at once, and the youth's Reflega barrier barely withstood the assault. Xehanort started firing purple-black beams of Darkness while his shade-clones kept up their attack, leaving the trio scrambling to dodge and block. Finally, Xehanort shifted the χ-Blade into a massive cannon that fired a huge, blinding beam of Light and Darkness at them, and even though he dodged it Sora still felt himself take magic-based damage just from the proximity.

The fallen Master's ferocious assault continued, bombarding Sora, Donald, & Goofy with all sorts of attacks with the 'Genesis Weapon' he wielded. Even so, he wasn't getting out unscathed, as Sora kept landing hits of his own whenever he saw openings. Soon, they were both panting and sore, feeling their energy reserves running low.

Sora and Xehanort pointed the Ultima Weapon and the χ-Blade at each other, charging power at their tips. Sora fired first, a thin piercing beam of scintillating Light shooting up at Xehanort. Behind the old Master, Kingdom Hearts was suddenly shrouded in Darkness, and from the χ-Blade he fired a beam of mixed Light and Darkness that stopped Sora's attack cold and quickly shoved it back. Donald and Goofy braced themselves against Sora, trying to will their strength to him, even as Xehanort's attack came nearer and nearer, set to kill them all…

"We're not… giving up!" Sora grunted. "We can't… lose here! I'm not gonna lose! Not with… my friends beside me!"

"Right!" Donald shouted. "We're his power!"

"And he's ours!" Goofy added.

Then, the Second Keyblade War saw one last miracle. Bars of light formed in Donald and Goofy's hands, soon shifting into oh-so-familiar shapes. With a flash of light, Goofy was suddenly holding a weapon with a shaft modeled after a Greek stone column, topped by a golden trophy with an upturned handle as the 'teeth' – "Mark of a Hero". In Donald's hands appeared a blue & purple weapon with a sweeping design, topped with a golden five-pointed star inside a blue one – "Shooting Star".

Astonished but determined, Donald and Goofy added their newly-manifested Keyblades' power to Sora's. The beam of Light became much bigger and brighter, a keening sound ringing out as it pierced through Xehanort's attack. It crashed into the stunned old Master, engulfing him in light…

(MUSIC END)

As the light faded, Kingdom Hearts was revealed again, purified. The hero trio and Master Xehanort stared each other down, back on the rooftop plaza. Wisps of darkness were 'steaming' off Xehanort, and the χ-Blade slipped from his grip as he fell to his hands & knees. He grunted in pain, trying to stand again.

"Why… How…"

"That's enough!" Sora said. "You've lost!"

"No, look… You are too late…"

He drew their attention to Kingdom Hearts high above, seeing how it was now radiating reddish light.

"What's gonna happen?!" Sora asked.

"A purge…" Xehanort finally got back on his feet. "The World will be returned whence it started. The World began in empty, primordial darkness. And from that void came both Darkness and then Light. From the Light came the people, and the people had Hearts. Evil burgeoned in those Hearts, and from there spread across the World like a plague. The primordial Light, the symbol of the World's hope, was devoured by shadow. The balance of Light and Darkness was upset, leaving nothing but ruin and death. And when the Light resurged, it burned too much Darkness away, leaving the cosmic balance off-kilter once again.

"But… the First Light – the Light of Kingdom Hearts – can give us a new beginning. It can restore the balance. An empty World, like a blank canvas, _cleansed_ of the false Light people use to hide the wicked shadows of their own Hearts. A chance to restore the cosmos to how it _should_ be…"

"But it isn't your decision to make" Sora replied. "A choice that would _erase_ so much, so many… That's not something any mortal person should do."

Growling, Xehanort used the χ-Blade to prop himself up. "The World needs someone to stand up and lead. Someone strong, to stop the weak from polluting the World with their wickedness and selfishness. Someone to dictate their destiny."

"If so… You're not that person, Xehanort. A real leader knows that destiny is beyond his ability to _truly_ control… and accepts that. The wheel of fate isn't something you can stop; you'll just get caught in its spokes if you try. You have to work with it, so you & it can carefully steer each other in the right direction."

Xehanort smirked. "You… remind me of an old friend."

Suddenly, a gateway opened up, eclipsing Kingdom Hearts from view. Masses of light flew out of it, setting down around Team Sora to reveal the rest of the Guardians of Light.

"Are you guys okay?" Mickey asked.

"Kingdom Hearts is closing on the other side," Riku explained, "but we managed to follow our Hearts to you."

Frowning, Terra turned to face Master Xehanort, and began to approach. He and Xehanort stared each other down in silence, numerous emotions crossing their eyes.

"…There's more to Light than meets the eye" Terra said softly. "As I told you."

Xehanort's eyes widened with realization. "You sly old fox…"

Terra began to glow with Light, and the second Heart that had been a passenger within him all this time emerged from his chest. Motes of light gathered around it, taking the form of the Heart's now-long-deceased vessel.

"Hand over the χ-Blade, Xehanort" Eraqus said.

Xehanort snarled. "It's too late."

"For us, perhaps. But not for them." Eraqus looked back at the Guardians.

"No…" Xehanort raised the χ-Blade in his shaking hand. "I can do this!"

Eraqus looked at his 'brother' sadly, slowly walked over and grabbed the χ-Blade, gently pushing it down and placing a hand on the dying Master's shoulder.

"Enough…" he said gently. "Checkmate, brother."

Memories long past resurfaced, and for the first time in over half a century, the corruption left Xehanort's old eyes, his irises reverting to their natural silver color. He sighed, then hobbled over to Sora. Gently, he placed the χ-Blade in the stunned youth's hands.

"Very well done, Master Sora…" he whispered.

Meanwhile, Eraqus came over to his three apprentices, who embraced him.

"Terra, Aqua, Ven… Please, forgive your foolish teacher. My zealous devotion to the Light blinded me to your splendors. Ventus, I put you through such a harrowing, painful experience. And Aqua, I left you with such a terrible burden. Terra… Now I understand. Your mastery over your own inner darkness, accepting and channeling it alongside your light instead of just denying its existence… You are a true Master after all. Please, look after them for me…"

Xehanort began to collapse, his old body starting to shut down, but Eraqus came over and caught him. The two of them shared a smile, and then both of them came apart in a beautiful flash of Light, their Hearts ascending to the hereafter…

Holding the χ-Blade high, Sora took a deep breath, Riku and Kairi's hands on his shoulders.

"Let's close the door to Kingdom Hearts," he said, "and go home."

Power gathered, and a beam of shimmering Light shot up into the heavens.

**-****_CHAPTER END_****-**

Oh my God, that took FOREVER. I've spent as much free time as I could get over the last _month_ working on this enormous (over 27,000 words!) chapter. Why do it? Well, partly because with the upcoming Epilogue chapter, it'll mean this fic ends with a nice, neat 20 chapters.

Stay tuned for the final chapter which will wrap up a couple things and maybe reveal some new shadows skulking in the background…


	20. Epilogue

**SEE CHAPTER ONE FOR (MOST) DISCLAIMERS**

PLEASE READ & REVIEW, AND TEND TO THE TROPE PAGE (CHARACTER PAGE IS NOW GONE)

**-****_CHAPTER START_****-**

**Radiant Garden**

Once everyone had taken a nice, long, healing-magic-assisted nap, the first thing they did was head to Radiant Garden. Word had been spread that Demyx had switched sides and had delivered the empty Replica that was once Dark Riku's vessel to Even/Vexen, so that they could use it for Naminé! As the core Guardians entered the lab, Ansem the Wise turned to face them, a smile on his face as he prepared to speak…

There was a flash of light as Roxas summoned his Keyblades, and then he leapt at Ansem the Wise with an expression of utter hatred and fury twisting his face. Ansem barely leapt back in time to avoid being cut apart, the grazing slash from Roxas' blades cutting across his chest. As Lea and Mickey moved to try and contain the situation, Kairi rushed in as well… brandishing Naminé's "Sweet Memories" as her Nobody took control of their currently-shared body, joining Roxas in attacking the man who'd caused them both so much pain and anguish.

It took a great deal of effort to restrain Roxas and Kairi-Naminé, and not before Ansem was battered, beaten, and had almost lost an arm. Even after Sora & company eventually talked them down, it was abundantly clear that the two Nobodies would _never_ forgive the man for what he did to them back when he was consumed by vengeance against Xehanort. Aeleus and Dilan escorted him out, back to his old castle, leaving Even/Vexen, Demyx, and Cid in charge of transferring Naminé's Heart into a new body.

**-****_Break_****-**

**Mysterious Tower**

"The threat of the Seekers of Darkness is over" Yen Sid proclaimed. "But we still have villains to deal with. In particular, the alliance between the three sorceresses and their underlings is an unknown variable – we do not know what they are planning next."

"I still can't believe Maleficent is a multi-world threat now…" Terra said.

"Fortunately," Yen Sid continued, "we now have many more Keyblade wielders amongst our numbers. And Flora, Fauna, Merryweather, Merlin, & I have come up with a way to make them even stronger. As you all know, Sora, Erika Swanson, Madoka Kaname, and Illyasviel von Einzbern all have access to what are known as 'Drive Forms' – transformations that increase their power in certain ways, using the magic of the Keyblade. Sora and Erika are able to do this thanks to enchanted outfits we made for them, whilst Madoka and Illya are able to use the magic of their transformation outfits as a base. We should be able to replicate these methods, so that _all _of the Dimensional Defense Forces' Key-bearers shall have access to Drive Form transformations. We will begin working on this task at once."

"Meanwhile," Riku said, "those of us with more experience with the Keyblade will do what we can to help teach the new wielders how to use their new weapons & abilities."

"Hey Sora" Roxas spoke up. "Something's come to me. Kairi is able to wield two Keyblades since she was carrying Naminé's Heart in her for a while, and Naminé is a Key-bearer…"

He looked at the recently-freed Naminé, the blonde girl conjuring her "Sweet Memories" Keyblade as 'emphasis' while Kairi, seated beside her, called forth her "Destiny's Embrace" and another instance of Naminé's blade.

"And I can wield two Keyblades thanks to being the Nobody of someone who carried other bearers' Hearts – you. So… doesn't that mean that _you_ should be able to dual-wield, too? I mean, in your base state, without going into a Drive Form."

"…Huh" Sora scratched his cheek. "Y'know, I never thought to try…"

"And… Terra, right?" Roxas looked at his doppelganger's friend. "You were carrying your old Master's Heart around for a while, so…"

"Hm…" Terra pondered. "Might be worth a shot."

"Wait, what about Madoka?" Lea asked. "I'm pretty sure she's _not_ carrying that Malia girl's Heart…"

"I think Malia's Heart briefly 'passed through' Madoka on its way to the afterlife," Aqua replied, "just long enough to ensure her Keyblade was passed on to her."

"Y'know what else we should do?" Goofy spoke up. "We should try to find the 'Somebodies' of Marluxia, Larxene, and Luxord. I mean, since they were all survivors from the First Keyblade War, they might know a lotta interestin' stuff!"

"And we could try to make sure Demyx's Somebody's Heartless has been vanquished," Donald added, "so we can 'recomplete' him and bring his whole-self back; he's a Key-bearer, too! We could do that for Vexen, too, if he wants."

"Speaking of things from back in the Age of Fairytales," Ventus said, "do you think Maleficent & Pete ever found that box they were looking for?"

"I really don't wanna think about leftover problems from hundreds of years ago right now" Sora griped. "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. For now, let's just chill and celebrate! With Xehanort gone, we're in the clear for now!"

**-****_Break_****-**

**Keyblade Graveyard**

Amidst the dust and echoes, the ancestral Keyblade previously wielded by Master Xehanort was impaled into the dead earth, another grave-marker for another bearer who met their end in this desolate place. …That is, until a black-coated hooded figure walked up to it and pulled it out of its resting place.

"Finally, back where it belongs…" the figure murmured.

Dust and space-time swirled in front of the cloaked figure as a person appeared from nowhere – a person thought dead for hundreds of years. Around him, three other figures appeared, approaching the hidden man with a large black box sitting on the ground beside his feet.

"…Did you summon us back?" Foreteller Ira asked the black-coated figure.

The figure nodded. "Yep."

Ira looked down at the familiar Keyblade. "Is that you, Luxu? You look different."

The black-coated figure chuckled softly, reaching up and pulling back his hood to reveal grey-streaked black hair, a scarred face, and an eyepatch over his damaged right eye.

"I haven't heard that name in a long while" the man known to modern times as 'Braig' or 'Xigbar' replied. "These days, they call me Braig or Xigbar, but hey, whatever suits you guys."

"Is it… really you?" Invi asked.

"Yeah," Luxu/Xigbar replied, "but some time ago, I had to cast my old form away. Been through plenty more semblances since, but it's still me underneath it all."

"What happened?" Aced asked, irritated. "Why are we here? Tell us!"

Luxu/Xigbar looked at his Keyblade. "I had a role to play. And after all these centuries, it's done."

Invi tilted her head. "What role?"

Unnoticed by them, a dark fae sorceress and her beefy minion looked upon the gathering from afar, then departed…

"I guess Ava didn't make it after all…" Luxu/Xigbar looked around.

"Meaning what?" Gula asked.

"I told her, clear as day, what it is I had to do."

"And is that why you decided to exclude her?"

"As if. Ava had her own mission, and she carried it out."

"I've heard enough!" Aced snapped. "Luxu, what was your role?!"

Luxu/Xigbar sighed, taking a seat on the big black box his Master had entrusted him. "I hope you guys like _looong_ stories…"

**-****_Break_****-**

Ruby Rose was pulled from her thoughts regarding the recent climactic adventure by her new Omnitool informing her of a secure incoming transmission. Curious, she called up the screen… and felt like her heart briefly stopped when the face of a dead girl appeared, smiling at her.

"_Surprise! Salutations, my friend!_"

"P… Penny?" Ruby choked out. "H-How… I saw you…"

"_My superstructure was heavily damaged,_" the gynoid replied, "_but my A.I. core – my 'Heart' – was intact! And so, after they salvaged me from Amity Coliseum, my father and the DDF constructed me a new body! Don't I look good with longer hair, Ruby?_"

Tears in her eyes, Ruby giggled at her old friend's exuberance. "Y-You sure do. So much has happened, Penny…"

Penny nodded. "_I know. General Ironwood has filled me in. He has also told me and Miss Winter about Salem – he said we needed to understand what we were truly up against…_"

"That's… That's great! That means you can come help us, right?"

Penny's smile faded. "_I would love to, Ruby. Unfortunately, I am needed here. Grimm attacks on Mantle's borders have been increasing lately. I have taken the role of Mantle's chief protector against the incursions. If I'm not here, it will be harder to protect the people against the Grimm. I wish I could join you out there, but…_"

Ruby shook her head. "No, I understand. Saving lives is most important. But we'll be able to keep in contact, right?"

"_Of course! And it will be even easier to do so once the General's next big plan comes to fruition!_"

"Big plan?"

"_…Sorry, Ruby. But even though this transmission is supposedly secure, the General suspects that Salem counts a skilled hacker amongst her ranks, one with inner knowledge of Atlas' infrastructure and systems. We can't risk them finding out what we have planned._"

Ruby nodded. "Okay, got it. Well, now that I've got a Keyblade, I've got some new training to get to. We'll talk later?"

"_Absolutely, my friend! I look forward to seeing how much stronger and more skilled you'll be when we next meet in person! Take care, Ruby._"

"Same to you, Penny…"

As the transmission ended, Ruby sighed and looked up at the sky. She couldn't help but wonder what Salem, Dyspear, & Maleficent were up to, what they had planned next…

**-****_Break_****-**

**Realm R8-3Y – Remnant – Salem's Fortress**

"So, that flippant, easygoing marksman was a Foreteller all along…" Salem said. "He had everyone fooled, even Master Xehanort."

"The question is: What is his plan?" Dyspear pondered. "What did helping Xehanort cause all that strife do for _him_? How did it lead to the resurrection of four other Foretellers? And what happened to the last one, Ava? Or the Master of Masters, for that matter?"

"We may need to wait until they make their move before we can find out" Maleficent replied. "In the meantime, we have more immediate concerns. Many more Key-bearers amongst the Dimensional Defense Force, including little Rose…"

Seated at the table, Cinder seethed. Her hair had been cut to shoulder-length, an eyepatch covered her left eye (or what was left of it), and her left sleeve was rolled up where her arm used to be.

"At least we know where the box is now" Close remarked. "Actually getting our hands on it, though, will be a lot harder than we anticipated…"

"Still no word on where the Spring or Summer maidens are hiding" Hazel reported. "The Winter Maiden is safe deep in Atlas; it'll be Hell trying to get to her anytime soon."

"I have something in the wings for that" Salem replied. "Not for a little while, though. In the meantime, I have a few ideas for new Grimm designs that I'm going to try implementing soon; Dyspear, Maleficent, care to help me fine-tune them?"

"Gladly" Dyspear smiled. "And we can work on a Grimm-based prosthetic limb for dear Cinder, too, while we're at it."

"And what about her eye?" Mercury spoke up. "Not sure putting a Grimm-thing inside her _face_ wouldn't be too risky…"

"I believe _I _can help with that" a new voice chimed in. "It should be a simple matter to construct a mechanical replacement optic."

"Ah," Maleficent smirked, turning to face the source of the smooth, deep baritone voice, "our newest member has arrived. Pete and I freed him from imprisonment, explained things to him. We intended to just let him do as he would, but…"

"But after Maleficent explained things further," the new figure slowly walked in with the faint sound of servos whirring, "I decided that I'd _love_ to join this little alliance. Especially since my old foes are counted among the Dimensional Defense Force's numbers… It should be interesting working with intellectual equals, for once. Of course, I'll need some underlings of my own if I am to contribute…"

Maleficent grinned. "I can reach through time, pluck some of your deceased subordinates' souls out from the points just before their deaths, and perhaps construct new bodies for them to inhabit. Though, some of them may be beyond my reach, at least not without causing paradoxes. And perhaps you can scour your homeworld for new recruits as well."

The figure nodded. "Yes, I'm certain there are some who would agree with my goals and be willing to work with us." He looked down at his current form, feeling the power within him that would allow him to switch between this and his larger, more powerful body at will.

Salem smirked. "Let's get to work, ladies and gentlemen. We have much to do before we make our next big move."

The new member of the evil alliance took a seat on one of the spare chairs. The secondary eyes on his purple chestplate glowed red to match his primary optics, and the massive tail cannon on his right arm was rested on the reinforced table as he pulled his hand out, steepling his fingers with a grin.

"Ah, I can already tell this is going to be a fruitful partnership!" the Predacon crime kingpin decreed happily. "I think things are going to get very _exciting_ rather soon. _Yesss~…_"

**-****_BOOK 37 END_****-**

And that's that for this Book. I might be going on a bit of a break now, or at least slowing down on working on updates. See, I have an Archive Of Our Own account, primarily used for… well, "adults-only" works (which have no connection to _Teana's Travels_, though maybe I'll make a "Travels sex scenes" fic at some point), and I wanna work on a couple fic ideas over there. Rest assured, though, that the Travels-verse will continue.

Next up: the DDF finds the world of _Goblin Slayer_.


End file.
